When President Trump announces on Twitter that he has ordered a government body to do something, it’s often not clear for days if he ever told them about it. This is latest exemplified in Wednesday’s Tweet to “shoot down” Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf.
After Trump’s statement, the White House refusal to comment, and multiple statements from Defense officials, it’s not clear at all if the US is actually planning to attack Iranian boats, with officials at the Pentagon suggesting it was “an important warning” as opposed to a literal order to attack.
Pentagon officials were notable in their refusal to say how Trump’s comments would impact a hypothetical situation in the future. They seem to be interpreting this as a threat/warning for its own sake, and not ordered military policy.
This happens fairly often with President Trump’s Tweets, which are presented as the word of the president but often never go beyond the Twitterverse into actionable policy, and which other officials feign befuddlement about when asked on the matter.
Of course they are befuddled. Who would not be – when the WAR MAD American Press publishes Trumps tweets as official US Policy?
We must not forget, in this time of terrible pandemic, we are still but a sneeze away from world war.
https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
“The president issued an important warning to the Iranians,” Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist said. “What he was emphasizing is, all of our ships retain the right of self-defense.”
As always, someone has to interpret numbnut’s words. Now go drink some disinfectant.
The Iranian boats weren’t harassing any US ships, wars .. They were simply letting the ships’ commanders know they also retain the right of self-defense.
As you well know, Iran isn’t the aggressor, the US is .. Iran hasn’t attacked its neighbors in over 500 years; any wars they had engaged were all in self-defense – the latest one in the 1980-88 war with Iraq was due to Iraqi aggression.
MMM-mmm. Apple cider vineger with a dash of honey…
It’s too soon. After the election.
That’s my worry.
Well, to appear eligible he has to do something about oil prices. The plunge has effectively killed shale oil (which costs something like $40/barrel to produce while the price just went negative, anyway still under 20. Dakota and rest of frackers will have to close if the price doesn’t go up. How do you square the circle with worldwide lockdown? You start a war in the Persian Gulf, anyone will tell you that you’re looking at an immediate price surge to $50, 60, 70…
Eh, what do you have to lose ?
“Shoot down the Iranian boats in Persian Gulf”….Pathetic Trump thinks Iranian gun boats have wings that they can fly and become targets in the air…!
Trump the Woofer in Chief of the Imperial City.
You “shoot down” planes not boats. What a freakin orange idiot.
Its tricky, but you gotta catch them when they bounce up off a wake or wave…
lol
Dotard desperate for a distraction.
USA #1 in Covid-19 deaths
So much winning!!!
The U.S. works harder than most to inflate COVID-19 deaths.
The generals need to hop to Agent Orange’s tweet (before he changes his mind).
🙂
We do not have government by Twitter, just news media frenzy by Twitter.
It sells media. It promotes Trump’s permanent campaign. Win win, but nothing to do with government.
One thing to be grateful for. “Christian” Pompass would prefer violence to be immediate, as befits the US top diplomat.
Yeeaaahh I don’t remember Trump tweeting out the plan to murder Soleimani. If something was seriously about to happen it wouldn’t be public knowledge.
… Well obviously we can’t let Iran have flying boats too…