[tomder55]

We are worried about a wider Middle East war. Hate to break the news ;that wider war began on November 4 ,1979 .

In that time US troops have been attacked a number of times causing hundreds if not thousands of casualties. In that figure I include the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut by Hezbollah

"the complicity of Iran in the 1983 attack was established conclusively.”

Peterson v. Islamic Republic of Iran, 264 F. Supp. 2d 46 | Casetext Search + Citator

I include the thousands of US troop casualties by Iranian Qud's force and other proxies in Iraq using IED's made in Iran ...... and of course there have been other American casualties in Syria and God knows where else by Iran proxies.

We call it gray zone ;asymmetrical ;proxy ;hybrid warfare . It is all the same to me . Iran wages bloody war against the US and we sometimes slap their wrist or appease them .

Their role in the war against Israel is undeniable .

Hezbollah is funded is for all real purposes a branch of the Iran military. Rockets fired at Israel from Lebanon ;Syrian ;Gaza ;and Yemen for all practical purposes have 'made in Iran' labels .

WSJ reported that before the October 7 attack Hamas 500 Hamas and their kindred of Caine terrorists TRAINED IN IRAN

Senior Palestinian officials and Iranian Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the head of Quds Force, also attended, they said.

Hamas Fighters Trained in Iran Before Oct. 7 Attacks - WSJ

But, with the specter of a wider war looming, the U.S. has said it has no evidence that Iran was directly involved in planning or approving the Oct. 7 attacks.
The Wall Street Journal, citing senior Hamas and Hezbollah officials, has reported that the Quds Force helped plan the attack and agreed that it could go ahead at a meeting in Beirut on Oct. 2 with leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah. An adviser to the Syrian government and a European official gave the same account of Iran’s involvement.

Of course Quid Pro Joe's administration would down play Iran's involvement . Like the emperor before him ; Quid sees Iran being a worthy regional hegemon . That's why he is making sure that Iran is sufficiently funded with Oil Revenue (over $70 billion since he lifted sanctions .

Forget the $6 Billion, Biden Has Freed Up Over $70 Billion for Iran (dailysignal.com)

It is why he wants to renew JCPOA . A nuclear armed Iran flush with oil revenue would be a formidable force .

When it comes to the Biden crime family , the only question I have is 'how much money for 'the big guy? ' I intend to keep my eyes open . I'm sure there is a personal deal in there somewhere .

[jlisenbe]

We are carrying 33 tril in debt and can't remember what a balanced budget looked like. We are in a pathetically weak position to end up in a major shooting war.

[tomder55]

Sometimes you don't get to choose which wars you fight. We are in 1979 American hostages being held in a war with Iran .... This time without a Reagan on the horizon.

The Dems are recruiting the young who increasingly side with the enemy. Clueless Joe is corrupt , feeble, and dumber than dirt . The Repub pygmies (can I say that ?) are pathetic ,divided and without an alternative to Trump who is hated by possibly a majority of the country .

Our enemies see America as weak. There is a possibility of a third front on the Pacific rim . We are depleting our stockpile . Our enemies see us as participants in the war . Only we don't see it Yet .

[jlisenbe]

The Repub pygmies (can I say that ?) are pathetic ,divided and without an alternative to Trump who is hated by possibly a majority of the country .

I think that's a very accurate statement.

My point was simply that we have stupidly allowed our corrupt pols to purchase our votes with overspending and tax cuts which have combined to drive our debt out the ceiling. Decisions have consequences. In 1929 the debt to GDP ratio was 16%. Even in 41 it was about 45%, so we had some "borrowing room" for both the Depression and WW2. It is now well over 125%, so we have stupidly allowed ourselves to be put in a pretty deep hole.

[tomder55]

and yet we as a nation cannot continue to be attacked without dealing with it harshly

[jlisenbe]

So how will we pay for this? Even more debt? It could very well be that our spending habits is our greatest enemy.

[tomder55]

Defense of the nation is the primary duty of the government . I don't disagree with your concerns about the debt . But that ship has already sailed . We have no one in government willing to tackle the biggest cause of the debt .... entitlements and people.

A state of war already exists .We just let them choose the battles.

[tomder55]

Here's a good opening salvo . Reimpose sanctions that Clueless lifted in his appeasement. Then strengthen them both unilaterally and in the UN . Make it clear to our "allies " that they are either with us or against us. Tell China that Iran can no longer stockpile discounted Iranian oil . Tell Gulf states Qatar and UAE that the Iranian money they are caretaking in their banks will not be transferred under any circumstances to Iran.

China saves billions of dollars from record sanctioned oil imports | Reuters

Let the Ayatollah assholas know that any more attacks on American troops in the region by their proxies will result in American blockades of their oil ports and perhaps mining of their harbors . Let them know that any more missiles aimed at Israel and American troops from Yemen will result in our taking action to eliminate the Houthis threat . Get the Saudi's to assist in that .

We should already be working covertly with the opposition in Iran to overthrow the regime. We should overtly side and give support to the many groups of protesters that the government suppresses with impunity .

[tomder55]

What is currently driving the war in the ME is Tehran. In fact Tehran is the driving force for all the destabilization in the wider region. Threats from Iran; threats from their surrogates in Beirut; from the West Bank; the threats from the Houthis in Yemen ; The Shia militias in Iraq and Syria ;much of the protest in Europe is instigated by IRGC agents . Iran funds ;directs vouch safes ;builds the tentacles of it's predation. Iran is the story .

It is taking advantage of Clueless Joe's intention to take up the mantle of the emperor's intent to prop up ,engage and support a larger Iran hegemon.
This should be over and done with already . But Iran is like Dracula . You have to drive a stake in it's heart to be done with it.

[tomder55]

Today is a day of infamy

Iran to Chair UN Human Rights Forum on Thursday, Sparking Protests - UN Watch

This despite its history of oppression, torture, executions and support of terrorism around the globe.

[jlisenbe]

Considering the corrupt nature of the U.N., this should surprise no one.

[tomder55]

Sen Susan Collins

Secretary Austin, as you indicated in your opening remarks, Iranian backed terrorist proxy groups in the region have launched numerous drone and rocket attacks against our forces, U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq. According to press reports, there have been at least 20 such attacks and 19 U.S. service members have been wounded. It’s imperative that Iran and its proxy groups understand that they cannot attack American forces with impunity. I know that last week, President Biden ordered two U.S. strikes against facilities in Syria used by Iranian proxies to threaten our troops. But The New York Times has reported over the weekend that Iranian backed terrorists continue to attack U.S. forces in the region even after these airstrikes, since these U.S. airstrikes apparently have not been sufficient to deter additional attacks on our troops by Iranian backed proxies. What else is the department doing to stop attacks against American troops?

Secretaries Blinken and Austin Testify on Emergency Aid for Israel and Ukraine | C-SPAN.org

Austin's reply confirmed the attacks ( as of today almost 40 direct attacks on US troops since the Oct 7 pogrom ......Is the US responding appropriately to the 28 attacks on US bases in Middle East? | Watch (msn.com))

was that we’ve increased our “force protection posture” ; that the US maintains the right to respond and that we will do so at a time and place of our choosing.

What a dodge !