The thing with this “recent conflict” is that it is not really “recent” at all. This has been going on in my lifetime all the way back to the Reagan days with the Iran/contra affair, where we traded weapons for hostages. Then the more recent and more notable event in the conflict is when Obama decided to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aka “The Iran Nuclear Deal”, that freed up somewhere between 50 billion and 150 billion dollars of sanctions against Iran, and also negotiated a payment from the USA in the form of 1.7 billion dollars. In return, Iran would not continue their nuclear weapon program. It is said by many investigators and foreign leaders that Iran has, in fact, continued the warfare against Americans in Iraq via small “rebels” or “militias”, even up until recently when the US embassy in Baghdad was attacked on December 31st 2019.
For me, as I have watched this unfold, both in horror that we may be starting a serious and expensive conflict. But also in relief, as this may be a final end to the war/occupation in Iraq.
The USA has over 700 bases around the world, and it may be as much as 800 depending on the source. However, it is a lot, and in reality that is 700 or 800 more than we should have on other countries' soil.
So when the Iraqi parliament voted to send foreign troops (US troops) out of their country, I cheered!! Thinking not only are we not under any moral obligation to be there anymore but also we have no right to insist to stay anymore. If they want us out, then YES let us depart. I would only worry if they were asking us to stay, in order to protect them further from other sources of terror in the region. But with their government voting to get us out, I say let's take this as a “perfect storm” and leave already.
Trump however, is being petty saying “Iraq must pay us for our Air-base that we built in Iraq, that cost billions”.
- First, they aren't going to pay. Nor do they have the capacity to
- Second, we went in under false pretense (“Weapons of mass destruction) and we created a shitty situation there. Leave them the base without compensation, and get the hell out. That is their consolidation prize!
Now was it legal to hit Soleimani? Many would say yes. Here is why
- Congress authorized this war more than once: https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-joint-resolution/114
- The action took place in Iraq, against a well documented and identified terror operator, where war has already been declared and authorized
- The USA had been authorized by the Iraqi government to carry out military operations on Iraq soil.
Even Obama's DHS Secretary said it was authorized Jeh Johnson said the following:
JOHNSON: “He was a lawful military objective. And the president under his Constitutional authority as commander-in-chief had ample legal authority to take him out without an additional Congressional authorization”
https://news.grabien.com/story-jeh-johnson-soleimani-was-lawful-military-objective-trump-ha
As for the democrats like Tulsi Gabbard complaining that this was an undeclared war, and unauthorized by congress. First, she is incorrect, based on the information above. Second, why weren't these progressive liberals complaining when Obama was bombing and committing acts of war in countries that congress never authorized?
- OBAMA did the following:
- Dropped bombs in 7 countries (all predominantly Muslim).
- Sent 3,500 U.S. troops and tanks to Russia’s doorstep in one of his final decisions as president.
- Ordered ten times more drone strikes than Bush.
- Dropped 26,171 bombs in 2016 alone (an average of 72 bombs every day).
- Put boots on the ground in Syria , despite 16 times saying “no boots on the ground”.
- Despite campaign pledges, planned a $1 trillion progam to add more nuclear weapons to the US arsenal in the next 30 years.
- Said, “I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being.”
- Bragged about his use of drones – I’m “really good at killing people”.
So yes, let's follow a constitutional principle and get our troops home, and defend our own borders, end of story!
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