Top Iranian Nuclear Scientist Killed in Apparent Assination

hazard field of work there. I guess this is the 5th one in the last 10 years. Timing is interesting or coincident.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Iranian_nuclear_scientists

 

It isn’t coincidence. Israel doesn’t want Biden negotiating any peace agreements with Iran. So Israel is stirring the pot while they still can.

 

Iranian military fired a bunch of missiles around an American base last time we assassinated one of their generals already once this year. Ultimately, unless Iran wants to go into total war, there is not much they can do to retaliate, so I be there will not be a retaliation.

 

Anything that helps to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions unfortunately is the right thing to do.

 

It's absolutely not a coincidence, Trump would have to sign off on that. It's something the MAGA's can crow about, all these last minute, screw yous.

Trump: Iran will 'NEVER' have a nuclear weapon
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/476906-trump-iran-will-never-have-nuclear-weapon

 

Like make a treaty about it or something?

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_and_state-sponsored_terrorism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Israel_proxy_conflict

I think the most impactful response over the last 5 years was the drone strike on the oil refinery in Saudi Arabia. The Syrian Civil War and Sanctions has really diminished Iran's capacity. At some point, all that is left is a genuine state response through the military like they did for show earlier this year. Iran has no allies and it has a distinct military disadvantage against its rival neighbors. The only advantage Iran has is its size.

 

Also, the threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz benefits domestic oil and hurts China.
win/win for Trump

 

What a year...I'm not for participation trophy's but if you survive 2020 you should definitely get one.

 

I'll actually be surprised if Trump's not involved in this

 

Looks like it was likely intended to provoke retaliation and block pursuit of diplomatic paths to dealing with Iran.

Targeted killing of civilians in another country for political purposes is usually called “terrorism”, but somehow I don’t think the US or its allies will be using that term here.

 

Regime change?

 

Do people actually sincerely believe Iran wants nukes outside of other motivations besides self preservation?

I don't get the argument for preventing Iran having nukes based on threats to Israel. I'm assuming that is your primary conern?

Iranian leadership cares first and foremost about self-preservation. That is always their number one goal. Their petty threats to Israel is nothing more than Kabuki theater to give Iranian citizens something to hate besides their own leadership. It's a common tactic by bad faith leaders for example Trump and the GOP using migrants and Muslims as a scapegoat to deflect anger away from those in power.

You only care about Iran obtaining nukes if you want to invade them. That is the main reason the Western world doesn't want Iran to have nukes, not because they sincerely believe that Iran would diametrically go against their own self-preservation and deploy nukes on Israel who h in effect would end their regime right there on the spot. If Iran ever successfully goes to weapons grade enrichment, it's the end of any discussions of regime change in Iran and any hope of Iran eventually being on the same terms with the US when it comes to trade. That's why the US doesn't want Iran to have nukes.

 

I would be shocked if trump or any other US president wouldn't have to greenlight this before Israel took such a dangerous and destabilizing action. trump may have even encouraged it, insuring that the action would leave the country that Joe Biden is about to lead in an even worse shape with regard to foreign policy than it is already.

trump installed "yes men" in critical positions in the national security establishment and the Pentagon recently. He did it deliberately to get out of the way the sane leaders in both who would not approve of the rash acts we are seeing now, and would have attempted to delay those decisions so they would be made by the incoming president, who will take office in just a few weeks. A perfectly logical course of action a president like George Bush, for example, or Barack Obama would have taken.

trump has been taking actions since the election to wreck United States foreign policy for President-Elect Biden. Examples?

Pulling a few hundred members of the US military out of Somalia that are the only thing enabling Somalia's armed forces, such as they are, to keep Al-Qaeda's second largest group of terrorists in check, Al-Shabaab. Al-Shabaab is a terrorist, jihadist fundamentalist group responsible for numerous terrorist bombings and other acts in East Africa and Yemen. They have an estimated 5,000 to 9,000 fighters in Somalia dedicated to overthrowing the Somali government and committing acts of terrorism throughout the region.

"Coincidentally," Somalia has just signed a long-term treaty with Putin's Russia allowing them to build a major naval base on their coast. Another destabilizing action that a "normal" US president would have prevented, in my opinion. Why would Somalia have done such a thing? A big reason would have been the US telling them adios, we're leaving you in the warm embrace of Al-Shabaab.

trump is attempting to pull a critical 2,000 special forces and other military assets out of Afghanistan before Biden takes office. Critical, because the 2500 remaining will only be able to protect themselves, and we would be unable to help our NATO allies in that country, who already outnumber our own forces, as well as leaving us unable to effectively attack Al-Qaeda there, as well as responding to attacks by the Taliban on the government.

trump's idea is to leave just enough of our military in Afghanistan that Biden will either have to put in more "boots on the ground," the "boots" trump just pulled out, or pull out entirely. That way, Biden can be attacked for "losing Afghanistan," or for "pouring troops" into the country. If we leave, the country will descend into chaos, China will become a major influence there, and Al-Qaeda will only have to worry about the Taliban. Some may recall that before 9/11, the Taliban allowed Al-Qaeda to base their operations there.

I could talk about how trump has completely screwed our Kurdish allies in Syria and Iraq, which dovetails nicely with the US doing Israel's heavy lifting in dealing with Iran, an Iran that would have been far less dangerous today if trump hadn't unilaterally pulled out of the nuclear agreement. Instead, I'm going to eat lunch.

 

Seems like a short sighted act. Also, this comes down to the strength justify the means. If someone assassinated Netanyahu, I doubt Israel will take it in stride.

 

You seriously underestimate the coercive power of having nukes. As an example, do you think China would dare building up the Spratly Islands against international opposition if it did not have nukes?

 

****ing Israelis and Trump, a match made in hell.