(no subject)

[yakov_a_jerkov]

Trump Approves Strikes on Iran, but Then Abruptly Pulls Back

President Trump approved military strikes against Iran in retaliation for downing an American surveillance drone, but pulled back from launching them on Thursday night after a day of escalating tensions.

As late as 7 p.m., military and diplomatic officials were expecting a strike, after intense discussions and debate at the White House among the president’s top national security officials and congressional leaders, according to multiple senior administration officials involved in or briefed on the deliberations.

Officials said the president had initially approved attacks on a handful of Iranian targets, like radar and missile batteries.

The operation was underway in its early stages when it was called off, a senior administration official said. Planes were in the air and ships were in position, but no missiles had been fired when word came to stand down, the official said.

[...]

It was not clear whether Mr. Trump simply changed his mind on the strikes or whether the administration altered course because of logistics or strategy. It was also not clear whether the attacks might still go forward.

Asked about the plans for a strike and the decision to hold back, the White House declined to comment, as did Pentagon officials. No government officials asked The New York Times to withhold the article.

WaPo подтверждает информацию NYT.

Comments

[tandem-bike.livejournal.com]

it's neither funny nor the truth. no matter what Trump does or does not, you will make it your obligation to shit on him. you are not alone, there are hundreds of similar TDSers. if you want to be original and create a new label, call trumpists something different. hijacking an existing meme/concept and trying to turn it around is dishonest and plain silly. call it TLS, Trump Liking Syndrome, or Loving, for those with stronger feelings but don't continue insisting on "TDS" describing trumpists. makes you look silly. and desperate.

as did this post, you hurried too much, you posted before Trump's tweets came through. you made it pretty clear long ago that you will wiggle: if Trump does A, you will comdemn him for not doing B, and when he does B, you will curse him for not choosing C, and so forth, you are so predictable, you are boring.

however, knowing mon presidente as i know him, i agree with you that a pure humanitarian motive, "oh, 150 dead iranians for one pilotless drone" is not the whole story. i think he cares about 150 dead iranians as much as Obama cared about Bin Laden's wives and children: not at all.

there must have been a real fear of escalation, and he used the "humanitarian" reason rather than say Hey guys, I am afraid they will hit our syrian bases next, and then it will be war.

so i am very glad he pulled back, no pun intended.