We have gone backwards in accountability and how our leaders talk to us and provide transparency. Compare this guy’s address to the nation.
You first. Since you are arguing 100% assurance is all that can be acceptable, then the only conclusion is the US should just bomb everyone?
In context, no. I’ve already explained the willful deception that Iran was engaged in from the beginning a couple of times. It boils down to this. Our agreement was with the Iranian government. The IRGC does not consider itself as part of the Iranian government or subject to it. Therefore, the agreement never applied to them. Research and development continued under IRGC authority, fully funded by the economic relief of the deal, with the full knowledge of the Iranian government (which, of course, was “powerless” to do anything about it). Israel (and Saudi Arabia) tried to explain this to us, but we ignored it. Communications during and after these negotiations confirmed this Iranian deception plan, but we ignored it. In the end, we told ourselves, well, it “slows them down” and “any deal is better than no deal.” But really all we accomplished was giving Iran economic power with which they bought more weapons and beefed up Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, etc, instead of translating that relief to their people as had been the implication during negotiations. I’ll say again, I think the deal was worth trying and President Obama was right to try it. Where I think he was wrong was not pulling out of it once it was clear he had been duped, which was almost immediately.
That could mean the stealth tech was superior or Iran was warned and already moved everything… and this was just a big show? I want to see the evidence their program is destroyed.
I do, too. Some of their facilities, though, would be difficult to impossible to move. Instead, what they could do was what they did: build them deep underground, ostensibly beyond the reach of conventional weapons. Until Iran itself digs out those sites and starts talking about what is and is not salvageable, I just don’t know how we’re going to know the BDA. You can tell some things from satellite footage, sure. You can tell some other things if there are trace radioactive materials in the air. But suggestions only.
Looks like they were complying with the deal up until Trump came into office ......and Trump even signed off agreeing to that. I wonder what it is that Trump did to cause so much subsequent non-compliance with the JCPOA? July 17, 2017 WASHINGTON — President Trump agreed on Monday to certify again that Iran is complying with an international nuclear agreement that he has strongly criticized, but only after hours of arguing with his top national security advisers, briefly upending a planned announcement as a legal deadline loomed. The decision on Monday was the second time his administration certified Iran’s compliance ... https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/us/politics/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-recertify.html
Right. What exactly do we know? This is where technical analysis and clarity comes in. The horror… if only we had those dumb inspectors from the nuclear agreement involved?? Cue the “Mission Accomplished” banner.
We started diverting interceptor missile systems from Ukraine to the Mideast months ago. I noticed and was confused by it. It makes sense now. Trump is a buffoon but this wasn’t a quick decision.
Well, they would be dead now or wishing they were, so I’m glad that’s not an issue. To your point, though, if diplomacy is possible now (and we all hope it is, love the President or hate him), then inspection of those sites to ensure their destruction is how you ultimately get your BDA. The setback to Iran’s nuclear intentions might have been so grave that striking a deal to save their economy and preserve their regime may prove, on balance, to be the best option available to them. Maybe we let Iran have one face-saving hit back at us for free, then we make a generous peace. I certainly prefer that to protracted war where we have to destroy Iran’s navy, oil industry, and so on. I hope Iran prefers that, too.
Arnaud de Borchgrave knew nothing about cyber as a domain of warfare since he was 80 years old back in '06 just when the domain was emerging.
Asked and answered. Technically the Iranian government was complying. But you have to go along with the fiction that the IRGC is not the Iranian government. Are you saying you support that fiction?
