In the last week, the confrontation between the USA and Iran has grown. There are disparate voices that tell us why we should or should not care about the confrontation and why it is a good or a bad thing. What is important, however, are actual events, i.e.,facts not opinions.
Today's facts regarding Iran are two: first, the USA ordered all non-essential diplomatic personnel and dependents out of Iraq. That's right, Iraq, not Iran. (We have no personnel in Iran since we have no diplomatic relations with that regime.) Of all the countries across the globe, Iraq and Syria would be the two where Iranian paramilitary forces would be able to strike with ease at American civilians. Washington is taking that target away. This means that the intelligence about imminent strikes by Iran at US targets must indicate that more are on the way. Second, a further investigation of the bombing of four ships off the coast of Bahrain has reinforced the initial assessment that Iran responsible for the attacks. We only get the conclusion, though, not the new details that support it.
Beyond these facts, there has also been a torrent of discussion of this confrontation. I want to highlight one statement in particular. It comes from one of the Democrats running for president, Congressman Tulsi Gabbard who used to be the vice chair of the Democrat National Committee. She said yesterday that the President is confronting Iran and sending an aircraft carrier strike group to the region at the behest of Saudi Arabia, al Qaeda, Israel and the neo-cons. I'm not making this up; Gabbard actually said that Trump was acting at the behest of the terrorists of al Qaeda. I've been looking for the condemnation of this rhetoric by other Democrat candidates and have found none. It may be that they think Gabbard is so low in the polls that they need not comment, but you would still think that at least one of the other 25 candidates would say something about their fellow candidate who acuses the President of working with the terror group that killed 3000 Americans on 9-11.
Today's facts regarding Iran are two: first, the USA ordered all non-essential diplomatic personnel and dependents out of Iraq. That's right, Iraq, not Iran. (We have no personnel in Iran since we have no diplomatic relations with that regime.) Of all the countries across the globe, Iraq and Syria would be the two where Iranian paramilitary forces would be able to strike with ease at American civilians. Washington is taking that target away. This means that the intelligence about imminent strikes by Iran at US targets must indicate that more are on the way. Second, a further investigation of the bombing of four ships off the coast of Bahrain has reinforced the initial assessment that Iran responsible for the attacks. We only get the conclusion, though, not the new details that support it.
Beyond these facts, there has also been a torrent of discussion of this confrontation. I want to highlight one statement in particular. It comes from one of the Democrats running for president, Congressman Tulsi Gabbard who used to be the vice chair of the Democrat National Committee. She said yesterday that the President is confronting Iran and sending an aircraft carrier strike group to the region at the behest of Saudi Arabia, al Qaeda, Israel and the neo-cons. I'm not making this up; Gabbard actually said that Trump was acting at the behest of the terrorists of al Qaeda. I've been looking for the condemnation of this rhetoric by other Democrat candidates and have found none. It may be that they think Gabbard is so low in the polls that they need not comment, but you would still think that at least one of the other 25 candidates would say something about their fellow candidate who acuses the President of working with the terror group that killed 3000 Americans on 9-11.
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