While President Trump has said that the US is not interested in a war with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Adel al-Jubeir, took to a UN meeting to suggest that US military options are still being considered.
While it seems a bit presumptive for the Saudi FM to decide to speak to US policy, his comments that US patience is “not inexhaustible” seems to be directed both at threatening Iran, and at trying to get the rest of the world on board with the conflict.
Al-Jubeir says that the UN report on the attack will be available soon, and that there is a whole list of options, including military options, still being considered, with him wanting to mobilize international support for what is to come.
Trump, however, had already announced the US response, by way of sanctions increases and a lot of posturing. Though indications were that this was the sum total of the US response, the Saudis seem to be trying to put US responses back on the table to try to wrangle more moves against Iran out of them.
Though President Trump is always interested in pleasing the Saudis, they are facing growing anger in Congress for doing too much to sway US policy, and this effort risks putting a Saudi stamp on whatever the US does next.
In Trump’s ears in stereo, one ear Saudi sounds, and the other ear a little country of a different religious persuasion.
Not unlike socialism no two democracy’s are the same. Take those kids in Hong Kong ready to destroy their own homeland in the name of freedom and democracy. When Bush started his wars that we are still fighting he said it was to spread democracy. Look at Israel’s so called democracy or so they call it. Look befor we spread any more democracy around the world let’s take the violence out of our form of democracy, the innocent victims of any future wars will appreciate it, it’s the least we can do.
Trump may not be “interested” in a war with Iran, but he is beholden to the Likudniks and Zionists who surround him who see war as “transformative” (Bannon) and “apocalyptic” (Hagee), the vehicle by which their big plans for the USA and the world will come about.
It would also be a very good way for him to avoid the legal problems he is facing right now. War is the ultimate distraction, especially if it leads to suspension of the Constitution and martial law, implementing provisions of the USA Patriot Act and the National Defense Authorization Act that would put on hold any legal action against Trump and his gang of thugs and any talk of impeachment. Never underestimate the resourcefulness of a cornered rat.
Having utterly destroyed the powerful Yemeni forces and defeated the Syrian forces, wiped out Hezbollah and humiliated Turkey, Saudi Arabia is ready for the next great challenge.
Very nice of the man to speak on our govt’s behalf. I guess it’s good to have such good friends that they can speak for you.
He added: “When push comes to shove, there comes a point when even America’s patience runs out – and Iran must be aware of that.”
And I thought Bibi was the only one who could speak for Trump. And where is the twitter outrage by Trump? I guess those weapons sales make them an equal with the little parasite and the Don doesn’t want to piss them off.
Why complain about Saudi Arabia trying to influence Us policy when Israel has been doing it for decades? It seems everyone is willing to fight when it’s America doing the fighting. If Iran is such a threat to the Saudis, let them deal with it and see what happens.
“Though indications were that this was the sum total of the US response,”
More begging for Trump to stop the war. A waste of time.
What “sum total”? This is just another step on the road to an inevitable war.
Once again, what happens when the Houthis attack *again*? How can you talk about “sum total” when the next act in this play has yet to materialize?
I can tell you how you can – cognitive dissonance. Jason hangs on Trump’s every word like Justin Raimondo used to, thinking it has some meaning. Well, it doesn’t.
While the Saudis are unlikely to attack Iran *on their own*, who knows what MBS has been told by Pompeo or the neocons about whether Trump would back their play if they did. And if the Saudis start a war with Iran, is anyone really so foolish as to believe Trump would simply say, “It’s your problem, we’re staying out of it.”
That’s ludicrous.