Sunday, April 14, 2019

Is the White House Laying The Legal Groundwork For Military Action Against Iran?

A sailor stands guard as an oil tanker makes its way toward Bahrain during a joint U.S.-U.K. anti-mine exercise in the Arabian Sea in September. (Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters)

ABC News: New concerns Trump administration may be laying legal groundwork for military action against Iran

Congress is making clear Trump does not have the authority for military action.

When Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the Trump administration would designate a branch of Iran’s military as a foreign terrorist organization Monday, he said, “The Trump administration is simply recognizing a basic reality.”

But critics say they are concerned that it may also be part of an effort to bend reality enough to provide legal justification for armed conflict with Iran.

“I am troubled that the administration can’t unequivocally say that you haven’t been given power. I can tell you explicitly, you have not been given power or authority by Congress to have war with Iran,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told Pompeo on Wednesday.

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WNU Editor: I do not see the U.S. launching a unilateral strike against Iran. Sanctions are already having an impact, and a U.S. military strike will be used by Tehran to divert attention away from the economic hardships that most Iranians are now going through. I think the U.S. is more worried that Iran may do something provocative as sanctions continue (like blocking the Straits of Hormuz), and that the U.S. may have to respond to protect themselves and/or their allies. Hence the reports and concerns that the administration is now making sure that they have the legal authority to respond.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well you never know for sure, but I'm not too worried about this posturing. You mentioned the strait of Hormuz, and Iran has threatened to take that action in the past, but they have just as much to lose as anyone. The only way I can imagine Trump actually sending in the jets is if the powerful Israelis who are pushing for this come up with some real dirt on Trump and threaten to use it against him. And I don't think that dirt exists, or we would have heard about it after a multi-year investigation looking for exactly that.

Anonymous said...

Endless, groundless, baseless agit-propaganda by the media at the behest of their progressive leaders. Just part of the daily stoking of fears to weaken Trump and his voters.

Stalin’s Big Lie in practice.
Doesn’t work anymore.

Anonymous said...

Great. An opportunity for America to lose yet another war and kill a bunch of civilians.

Anonymous said...

Losing Venezuela will hurt Iran. then we should roll up their Hezbollah network in Paraguay, Nicaragua, and Mexico followed by the US itself.

If sanction work in Venezuela, why not Iran as well. Venezuela cut their production by over a 3rd due to socialist mismanagement and crony politics. Let Venezuela be a fiscal bleeding operation of China, Iran and Russia.

No need to invade Iran to get rid of the dirty old men in dirty robes. Let the head scarf burners and others yearning to be free geld them.

Last I looked Sadam was dead and he killed a lot civilians. Why should this fate not happen to Khamenei?

Anonymous said...

Not sure why deplorable anon blames liberals when, after all, they put together an agreement with Iran, along with 5 other nations, which Trump then dismissed. Perhaps you ought also blame your prostate issues on liberals

Anonymous said...

Different anon here..but. .It was a crazy deal. Iranians killed thousands of US soldiers during the Iraq war. They are not just frenemies..their IEDs killed a lot of good people. Unfreezing those billions in assets was a crazy and highly controversial move at best.. And the deal didn't work on top as you know so stop your partisan idiocy

Mike Feldhake said...

WNU Editor; I think your analysis is spot on. I do think Iran will lash out and we need to make sure we react properly.