Trump and Netanyahu Against the Iranians
I have virtually given up making comments on American politics and foreign policy. Over the past few months, I have been hearing complaints from many supporters of President Trump that he, like the Clintons, has been duped by the Iranians. A month ago, my friend and colleague Jim Easton and I were driving up to Douglas County Wisconsin, mostly to spend time with Anthony Bukosky, and Jim expressed his concerns.
My answer went roughly this way. While I would not let a coarse egotist like Donald Trump into my house, one should give the devil his due. He has always been a dealer, a manipulator, and he is dealing now. During the Iranian hostage crisis, I had conversations with an Aramco executive who could not believe that Carter did not appear to know that the Iranians are liars and cheaters, despised by Arabs, who are not exactly paragons of honest dealing. This confirmed by own experience of the Iranian friends who dunped me in the middle of nowhere at Altamont--over five miles walk by the shortest route to Livermore --and left me to find my way back to San Francisco. If I know you can never trust the Iranians, do you really think Trump, with all his connections to international business, doesn't know? And if he didn't know, don't you think his son-in-law would be happy to inform him?
Jim then asked what was the point to the negotiations. To me it seemed painfully obvious that Trump and Netanyahu had worked out a plan Trump would try to work out a deal on denuclearization with Iran, and when they played their usual game of delaying and deceit, Israel would be given the green light to clobber them. Of course this has been Israel's desire for a long time, but on this occasion, I believe that Netanyahu is carrying the water for his protector President Trump, but even if the Israelis are filibustering, Trump would have signed off on the bombing if not the timing.
A few days after this conversation, Netanyahu declared that if Iran did not deal in good faith, he would make war. And now it has happened. Far from being astonished or outraged, much less listening to the complaints from all directions, I hear only the sound of the other shoe dropping.
Yes, I am opposed to American wars that are not waged in defense or in revenge for injury, and I apply the same standard to "allies" like Israel. If I had been President of the United States, I would not have made such a deal, though if I were an Israeli, I am sure I would feel rather different. On the other hand. if any country in the world deserves to be smacked by the US and its junkyard dog asset in the Middle East, it is Iran. The Iranian government's complicity in the taking of American hostages, particularly American diplomatic personnel, made them a criminal state, the one country in the world that deserved punishment, and since Israel's attacks were directed at their military leaders and nuclear facilities, it is as just and gentle punishment as could be expected.
I have sometimes said I had no dog in the endless fight going on between Israel and her neighbors. That is not quite true, since I have two dogs. The first is the interest and safety of the American people, who are constantly being put at risk by the dangerous and destructive policies of Israel. My second dog is the Christian population of the Middle East, caught between two hostile forces, Muslims and the Jewish State. Of the Middle Eastern Christians with whom I have spoken, all find the Muslims less hostile and less destructive, but in this they are being a bit short-sighted.
One final note. I am not interested at this point in discussing the rights and wrongs of America's "alliance" with Israel. I am at work on a brief piece arguing what I believe to be a moderate approach, based on common sense.
On a practical level, is it wise for a superpower that took 20 years to lose to the Taliban and spent most of a decade trying to secure a few acres in Baghdad (all while the newly-installed Iraqi democracy ran off or otherwise decimated the local Christians) to pick a fight with a country of 100 Million, one that is strongly-aligned with Russia and China?
As for our 51st State, does anyone know if the evangelical US Ambassador Huckabee has inquired about the bad treatment of the Christian communities by the predominant demographic yet? But then the ambassador may feel like other Christians of his ilk, who I have heard say that those Middle Eastern Christians aren’t really what we would consider to be Christian. They’re just not the same as the Jesus-loving patriots that you’ll meet in the gift shop or the coffee bar at the megachurch down the street.
Good points, Ken. I don’t know where the probability lies. If it is to be a technology war, though, the Iranians might as well give up now. What I do not know is whether or not young Iranian males are the suicidal fanatics they were in the Iran-Iraq War. I am betting that like all novelties, Islamic fervor can wear thin. I should also bet that neither China or Russia are looking for direct involvement. Neither government has any reason to respect, much less trust the Iranians, but we shall see.
It was interesting to read Trump’s statement that indeed he had been fully informed of the Israeli operation and in great detail.
I heard someone on you tube (I can’t remember who) say much the same thing concerning the Russians. Contrary to what some are saying, they would be unlikely to go all out for Iran. As for those who say that China will come into the war on Iran’s side because of Iranian oil, Col. Wilkerson said that they get something like 90 percent of their oil from Russia. They can make up the shortfall.
You can bet that a lot of the fanatics were killed off in the Iraq war and that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The strictness of the regime has caused a reaction among the young, and did so long before the regime lightened up a bit. They behave in public but tend to let it all hang out behind closed doors. Too much strictness always causes such things. So much for fanaticism.
One thing seems certain, Netenyahu and the Likud party need to go, but it may be a little late for that to happen now. The question now may be if Israel can survive this. A lot of people are leaving the country and they were having difficulty getting reservists to show up for duty even before the attack on Iran. Entire units were refusing to show up.
It’s been said that they apparently caught the Iranians with their pants down this time. They weren’t taking basic security precautions or following basic preparedness protocols. Well, I’m just so surprised at that.
The Israelis don’t make that initial attack without US asset involvement, so Rubio and the others are lying, I believe, when they issued immediate denials. While Netanyahu’s forces hold escalation dominance as this conflict unfolds, I think the Iranians can degrade Israeli air defense with enough drone and missile attacks to make any extended operation very costly.
More good points, Dr Fleming, re: Russia & China keeping some distance from Iran. I think Putin genuinely wants some sort of a”rapprochement with the US, especially while Trump is in office. There is no hope with the Democrats. I do think Russia & China might be able to rein in their little red-headed step- bastard Iran, whom they keep saying is an integral partner in their Silk Road, assuming Trump could put the arm on Bibi at the same time.
I just happened to think that the US Embassy was overrun in ‘79, a month after I started my first job after college. I retired last year and here we are, still at odds with Iran. Don’t things ever get ironed out diplomatically? I guess not. I suppose it’s pointless to bring up the whole CIA-backed coup against Mosaddegh in ‘53, at this stage.
I definitely look forward to US-Israel piece you mentioned.
PS: How is the poet laureate of Superior, Mr Bukosky, doing? I trust that he’s still writing stories. I look forward to the next collection of his unique tales.