Central Command leader Gen. Joseph Votel today called for the US to use “military means” against Iran as an effort to disrupt their “activities,” saying it was vital that the US “expose and hold them accountable for the things that they are doing.”
Votel did not specify exactly to what extent he intended the military means to be used directly against Iran, or in what context. He did however complain of Iran committing “destabilizing activities” in the Middle East.
This in all likelihood is another effort to push deeper US involvement in Yemen, as the Pentagon has been trying to parrot the Saudi narrative of the Shi’ite Houthis in Yemen being an Iranian proxy force. Given the humanitarian disaster the Saudi war has been, they appear to believe they can sell US involvement more easily as an anti-Iran operation, even if Iran is not particularly involved.
Defense Secretary James Mattis also reiterated that Iran is a state sponsor of terror, though of course this designation is less about practical actions than about official US policy, as the US considers Iran, Sudan, and Syria to be the only “state sponsors of terror.”
This general is complaining of Iran committing “destabilizing activities” in the Middle East? LOL, I swear these creeps never stop. Look in the mirror General. Only one nation now two have severely destabilized the middle-east and it is us and now Saudi Arabia. And, I think the regime leaders of Saudi Arabia and the former Obama regime should be brought up on war crimes and crimes against humanity. Perhaps you too general if you continue this down this path.
How quickly history seems to be forgotten…or overlooked, for whatever reason. Obama went all-in and was responsible for expanding the destabilization effort that was set in motion by Bushco. Remember him? The guy who said that God told him to do it…fight “them” over there so he wouldn’t have to fight “them” here…The Decider!! If you are going to put anyone in the docket, they should be standing right next to Bushco and associates – including everyone in Congress who voted for this exercise in stupidity.
Should Check out what Bill Clinton done to Yugoslavia , Bush did to Iraq , And Obama did to Egypt , Ukraine , Libya and Syria . Now Trump is doing it to Yemen . We should send all these great presidents to be honored in the countries they bombed for us using our name . Bush and Clinton said these countries were happy we liberated those people . Lets send them over to let those countries so they can give them meddles or something to show their appreciation
This is going to finally split Europe from us. This is nuts, and they will see it that way.
And Trump’s buddy Putin is a co-signer of the 5+1 agreement. This is immensely confusing or worse, signaling that there is no helmsman at our foreign policy establishment. Every little satrap has his own plans regardless of whether they do or do not fit in a whole.
Please STOP this “buddy” nonsense. Putin, plus all the other leaders, and even Obama under suffrance, finally came to a reasonable agreement with Iran. Trump was not there, or his “buddies” Mattis, Flynn, Ledeen and all the others who have since tried to ruin an agreement that suits everyone involved, except the Iranian hardliners who will not put up with the US dillydallying much longer.
That just fine maybe England will still be our friend . We destroyed Yugoslavia for Germany and Turkey and gifted Kosovo to Al;baina
Endless wars and also “defenders” of peace(!?).No wander USA is unanimously hated.
Americans can go screw themselves. I am so sick of their mouse like squeaking.
Pounding the drums for moar war just never stops-wash at the moment has achieved new highs in hypocrisy, which even by wash measurements, is astonishing.
Vogel is a piece of work-a glance at centcom mission statement indicates that he has wafted into fantasy land, certainly not of this planet: Prepare, Pursue, Prevail! +granularity!??
http://www.unz.com/article/prepare-pursue-prevail/
To ask the obvious question, what the hell happened to the positions of candidate trump vs the positions of pres trump-it has been a complete 180 degree turn. Obama’s foreign policy was a train wreck with the likes of rice, power, nuland, ash carter mucking about with regime changes/coups-trump’s appears to be worse, if that is possible.
Bush=obama +drones=trump +moar drones+boots on the ground.
‘He did however complain of Iran committing “destabilizing activities” in the Middle East.’ and Syria, Iran and Sudan are the “State sponsors” of terrorism.Can the USA not see how ludicrous their words and behavior look to any sentient observer?
Having generals being the deciders of policy and seeing their influence so far on civilian deaths (they are only Muslims, I suppose, so not really human) how can Vital Votel and Mattis do anything but make matters worse by their input?
They’re only generals, but they’re bad general who were chosen by Trump. And when bad generals advise a president, bad things happen.
Make no mistake, it’s Trump that will make the bad decisions and in fact has already made several. Sryia, N.Korea, Russia, Libya.
And he’s being advised by bad generals on Iran now with bad advice.
What is Iran doing that the US is upset about?
Iran is helping Syria to clobber the US backed jihadis.
The US doesn’t give a flying f**k about the people.
Inside the US is a supremacist moron that wants respect.
except that the current “supremacist moron” follows the previous 2 “supremacist morons” in tern. (American supremacists of very similar stripes.)
Well this last supremacist moron has given up on Assad must go any way and admits Russia is helping us tame ISIS
A good question! But apparently too deep for Americans to understand? Have you been asleep since the fall of the Soviet Union?
The warmongering filth who support Trump are still afraid to be truthful and admit that nothing good is going to come from Trump.
Nothing!
Maybe it’s time to admit that racist hate for Obama is one of the biggest reasons you people could ever come to support a psychopathic madman such as Trump. Raimonod included, who should know better.
Don, whatever happened to the “luv” you used to dispense from Canada? You’re loosing it, buddy, take a little time off; and leave our buddy Justin out of it, this isn’t even his article! The point is that the empire is so far down the proverbial turlet that only a “psychopatic madman” can change its course! That’s all we’ve got, buddy, now take your medicines and go to bed, we’ll wake you up when it’s all over.
With Raimondo on the wrong side, he’s taking at least half the antiwar thrust out of this site. Don’t you think that’s enough reason to keep trying to convince him he’s wrong.
I’m not ‘loosing’ it Chris and I’m not even losing it. My expression of luv/ridicule of Americans is still very much alive.
So now Iran’s fight against Isis and extremists are destabilising the region? While those who created and helped Isis (turkey,Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan) are good allies, no wonder USA is no longer a super power.
You see it like I see it I think Iran is probably more trust worthy than Saudi Arabia Turkey Or Qatar, I really don’t trust any of the Muslims to tell the truth on much of anything for very long .. You are also right about America losing a lot of power in the Middle east And I do think both Russia and China gained the respect we lost . But Putinn earned it by making good decisions .
The problem with you guys is that you still think you are allies are your friends? Your saudi friends did 9/11, helped to create all qade and then later Isis, the same about turkey,Qatar or Jordan. Jordan is sucking your economy for years ,billions and billions of Ur money go to this country for nothing, Qatar and turkey are helping extremis to topple Assad while turkey blackmailing Europe to send more refugees and these guys they are all your allies.
First from ignorance you handed Iraq to Iran, becouse you are ignorant the fact that 80 % population of Iraq is Shia ( untill recently you confused Shia with Sunni) And almost 99% Iran SHIA, now most political and religious and Army of Iraq runningby Iran, remember (Moktada Sadr) getting direct instructions from Iran and bow you wanted bomb the Iran.
You guys are rediculesly stupid ignorance.
The world is laughing at the hypocrisy and ignorance of USA “leaders”! The world is NOT a video game for US generals and high officials to play war games with!
It was after the fall of the Soviet Union and right up to Russia standing back up to represent it’s interests in the ME too. That’s when the game ended for the US.
This is what makes Trump so much a threat to world peace. During Obama’s time as president he allowed a situation to be created in Syria and Iran in which the US no longer stands completely unopposed to it’s wars.
The window of opportunity for US aggression, between the fall of the Soviet Union and Russia’s reassertion of it’s military might, has been slammed shut.
US generals advising Trump are not yet coming to understand that change in the situation. They may not come to accept it in time and thus will advise Trump wrong.
That’s just a description of how we always imagined it starting during the cold war.
The usa should be confronted,occupied,disarmed and dissolved for all the war crimes it has commited mr. general sir…
Yaa…!!!!!! Me too… Survivor….. We know who the sponsors of murder rape and mayhem are… and they are NOT the local people, but the invaders who lusted their land and resources.. Not to mention the ABSOLUTELY CORRUPT UNITED NATIONS RAQUETEERZ.. Who absolve the HORROR SHOW STATE SAUDIA ARABIA of their WARCRIMES in exchange for CASH PAYMENTS… Can there be anything worse….???????