Iran says Revolutionary Guard shoots down US drone

[Cyber Liberty]

For me, the down side is again turning to the cable news with all the blather involved with that. Stupid questions getting stupid answers. I had forgotten how sad that all is.

The Oval Office meeting was interesting that way.  The press all started screaming questions at the President, so he just said, "Good bye."  I could clearly hear a reporter holler over the din, "So we're done?  Thanks a lot, CNN!"

[TomSea]

For me, the down side is again turning to the cable news with all the blather involved with that. Stupid questions getting stupid answers. I had forgotten how sad that all is.

Newsmax, OANN, Fox has generals speaking, if one is hearing obnoxious blather, that might be of their own choosing, there are plenty of choices.

[TomSea]

Speaking of Fox, they've had Retired General Keane on numerous times, quite hawkish if that's what one wants.

[edpc]

If people are wondering why the press would ask if Iran would be subjected to military strikes and why the CiC would answer, just look to recent history, in other situations, under this admin.


“Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line,” said Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis. “U.S. military planners took precautions to minimise risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield.”

https://time.com/4730306/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-russia-missile-attack-bashar-assad/

[Cyber Liberty]

If people are wondering why the press would ask if Iran would be subjected to military strikes and why the CiC would answer, just look to recent history, in other situations, under this admin.


“Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line,” said Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis. “U.S. military planners took precautions to minimise risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield.”

https://time.com/4730306/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-russia-missile-attack-bashar-assad/

I would expect some back-channel warning to Russia if it's decided we're going to take out a SAM site in retaliation. 

[Elderberry]

Situation Room briefing on Iran crisis concludes, as McConnell says 'measured' response is coming

By Gregg Re | Fox News

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/situation-room-briefing-on-iran-crisis-concludes-as-mcconnell-says-measured-response-coming

Top administration officials and lawmakers have left the White House after a more than hourlong classified briefing about Iran's sudden downing of an American surveillance drone in the Middle East.

Amid mounting tension between the U.S. and Iran, the White House earlier Thursday invited House and Senate leaders and Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees to meet with President Trump.

Others who arrived for the meeting included CIA Director Gina Haspel, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan and Army Secretary Mark Esper, whom Trump has said he'll nominate as defense secretary.

Shanahan was spotted outside the White House carrying a folder stamped "SECRET/NOFORN," an intelligence classification category prohibiting distribution to anyone outside the government.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told Fox News that "we had a good briefing" and that the Trump administration would engage in "measured responses."

McConnell confirmed the U.S.'s firm position that the drone was operating in international airspace, even as Iran has tried to make the case that the drone had "violated" Iranian airspace.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, issued a statement after the briefing calling for calm.

More at link

[Fishrrman]

I would concur with Cyber that any "response" should and must be "disproportionate".

Severely so.

Hit 4 or 5 missile sites, along with one of their major nuke sites.

Tell them if they dare respond, that the next strike will be MORE severe -- perhaps ALL of their nuke sites.

The idea is to destroy as much as possible from a distance, without committing troops. We can make them hurt badly without doing that.

[Cyber Liberty]

I would concur with Cyber that any "response" should and must be "disproportionate".

Severely so.

Hit 4 or 5 missile sites, along with one of their major nuke sites.

Tell them if they dare respond, that the next strike will be MORE severe -- perhaps ALL of their nuke sites.

The idea is to destroy as much as possible from a distance, without committing troops. We can make them hurt badly without doing that.

No troops!  I don't want our national treasure of good soldiers being thrown away in a stupid, futile "Nation Building" exercise.  Spit!!

[Elderberry]

 Iran says downed US drone recovered in its territorial waters
by Sebastian SMITH with Marc JOURDIER in Tehran 57 mins ago

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-slams-provocative-act-by-us-after-drone-incident/ar-AADaTvX?srcref=rss

Iran said Thursday it had recovered parts of a US spy drone in its territorial waters, after downing the aircraft in a missile strike slammed by President Donald Trump as a "big mistake."

Under pressure to respond to the high-stakes incident in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, where a series of tanker attacks have sent tensions soaring with Iran, Trump initially struck a combative tone.

"Iran made a very big mistake!" he tweeted in response to news Iran had shot down the Global Hawk surveillance aircraft -- which the Pentagon says was above international waters at the time.

"This country will not stand for it, that I can tell you," he said later at the White House.

More at link.

[edpc]

We have four B-52s, recently deployed to Qatar. Each can carry a dozen AGM-158 JASSMs. Keep them in the air on 6 hour intervals, over the next few days and keep them guessing as to which one(s) launch.

https://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/agm-158-jassm-standoff-missile/

[Elderberry]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/iraq/military/usstrength.htm

U.S. Strength in the Persian Gulf

As of Feb. 24:
Troops are deployed throughout the Gulf region, with the following countries involved in some aspect of the buildup: Saudia Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Diego Garcia, Turkey. As of Feb. 23, the total U.S. military force had grown to more than 300 combat aircraft, 30 ships, and personnel numbering about 35,000, including sailors, soldiers, Marines and airmen.


U.S. Naval Forces in the 5th Fleet:
The 5th Fleet is currently deployed in the Persian Gulf, and as of Feb. 23, the naval forces included: two carriers, 20 ships, 103 strike aircraft, approximately 20,000 sailors and marines.

The military sealift command forces in the gulf include: 18 ships, 189 U.S. Navy personnel, 844 civilian mariners and 64 oceanographers. Naval forces enroute to the 5th Fleet include: five ships, 30 aircraft, 4,740 sailors and marines.

Currently, two U.S. naval battle groups are in the Gulf, each led by a carrier:

[don-o]

No troops!  I don't want our national treasure of good soldiers being thrown away in a stupid, futile "Nation Building" exercise.  Spit!!

Exactly. Hence my comment for proportionate response. Blow stuff up and lay waste to a good deal of infrastructure. Let the non-fanatical Iranians arise and reclaim their own humanity.

[Elderberry]

As tensions flare with Iran, Israel could strike first

Irish Sun

https://www.irishsun.com/news/261478951/as-tensions-flare-with-iran-israel-could-strike-first

Iran shot down a U.S. drone on June 19, further escalating tensions between Iran and its adversaries.

Relations with Iran have been worsening for months. In early May, one year after the United States withdrew from the nuclear deal negotiated in 2015 between Iran, the U.S., the European Union and five other countries, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that his country may also withdraw from the agreement, which limits its ability to develop nuclear weapons in exchange for lifting sanctions.

In June, Rouhani announced that Iran will restart uranium enrichment, which could put the country on track to develop a nuclear weapon within a year. Rouhani's government insists its uranium will go to civilian nuclear power, not weapons.

As a "deterrent" to Iran, the United States is sending an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East.

The U.S. is not the only country considering a military response in Iran.

"Israel will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on June 17. Netanyahu also said Iran must be punished for violating the nuclear agreement.

Israel, which has faced threats to its national security since its founding as a Jewish homeland in the Middle East in 1948, is known to take aggressive, preventive action to protect itself - including by launching preemptive strikes on neighboring nations it perceives as threatening.

If international relations with Iran grow more volatile, Israel could take dramatic, unilateral action against its neighbor and longtime adversary.

How the Begin Doctrine justifies preemptive strikes

I'm an international security scholar who studies Israel's proactive use of its military to prevent nuclear buildup in the Middle East.

Israel has a counterproliferation policy, called the Begin Doctrine, which allows it to wage preventive strikes against enemies with weapons of mass destruction programs. Using the Begin Doctrine as a justification for preemptive strikes, the Israeli government has for decades quietly decimated nuclear and chemical facilities across the Middle East.

More at link.

[Wingnut]

Iran is writing checks the mullahs can't cash.

[TomSea]

Iran aided or at least, their allies, so Iran probably was involved, Iran aided two attacks on the US, their Hezbollah allies attacked the Khobar towers in Saudi Arabia and back in the '80s, under Reagan, Iranian allies bombed the Marine barracks causing many deaths. 250 Marines approx. One of the articles posted on the forum said those attacks weren't ever really responded to. We did shoot down one of their passenger jets in the late '80s. That's another incident.

So, we'll see. There are some real hawks out there pushing for a response. It's understandable. I think an invasion is not even a realistic idea at this point from the hawks. Just hitting them somewhere.

Will consider merging this thread with the "Iranian Crisis" thread in the morning, so that is in the threads on the top. This thread is actually doing well by itself. We will see.

[Wingnut]

Hmmmmm?   

[Bill Cipher]

Cyber strikes would probably be a better response right now.  Start selectively shutting down random portions of the power grid and keep them occupied with that for a while.

[Cyber Liberty]

Will consider merging this thread with the "Iranian Crisis" thread in the morning, so that is in the threads on the top. This thread is actually doing well by itself. We will see.

@TomSea

This thread is already considered a "Hot Topic" because of the number of posts.  I recommend not merging the Topics. 

[Cyber Liberty]

Cyber strikes would probably be a better response right now.  Start selectively shutting down random portions of the power grid and keep them occupied with that for a while.

I'm for that. 

[TomSea]

The Iran deal was bad but it took hold. Menendez wouldn't sign on to it... but it became functional. Cruz and Trump campaigned on how bad it was.

The big drawback of tossing out the deal is at some time, some hard action might be required. That is beyond my knowledge, beyond my pay-grade as they say.

So, we have to sanction them like heck, they already are sanctioned heavily and we'll have to continue it.

And another downside, is perhaps, in the future, we will have a North Korea situation. We'll see. I don't find them particularly threatening. I think they are particularly threatening to Israel for whatever that entails.