nonniey

I really don't care how this administration tries to Justify killing Soliemani.  They seem to be doing it ineptly (SOP for Trump) but that is irrelevant - there was more than enough standing justification to kill him for past conduct.  Are you now going ask if Osama bin Laden posed an imminent threat??? or Baghdadi???? or a crap load of other terrorists we killed over the years?

- 41% think POTUS went ahead with the strike for political reasons, vs 40% who think he acted in the best interests of the US.

I don't think he does anything outside his own best interests, but sometimes they align. In this case they did.

Ok guys did you not read the polling data??? They chose 2000 random people and had them throw a dart at where they thought Iran was on a map 10 feet away.

38 minutes ago, Dan T. said:

There was a large flare up of fire just before impact.  Do pilots have the capability to dump fuel?  I wonder if that was a last-ditch effort by the pilots to rid the plane of fuel before the crash.

Yes but my understanding is you can't dump it in mass, so I doubt they tried that. During the the Sioux City UA crash incident they made a series of turns in order to dump excess fuel (it took a while).

1 hour ago, DCSaints_fan said:

 

I see some flaming debris and another explosion before it hits the ground.  This looks pretty suspicious.

 

Edit: Actually it looks like its on fire, initially I thought those were just wing lights, but definitely look like its on fire as it goes down.  This is of course possible, but again, looks a bit suspicious

If it was shot down pretty sure the Iranians won't allow a proper investigation.  It is not common for planes to be on fire as they go down (happens occasionally - ie Concorde).

1 hour ago, DCSaints_fan said:

If there's one thing I can blame Obama for, it was not getting out the Iraq when he had the chance.  Really there was no point in us being there after roughly 2010. Yes there was ISIS but we had Turkey and Saudia Arabia as airbases.  Heck we probably could stuck a carrier in the Med and I don't even think Assad would have cared if we flew over Damascus to get rid of ISIS

I distinctly remember getting out of Iraq in 2011 (As in personally remember).  That turned out to be a blunder of the 1st magnitude which led to the establishment of the ISIS caliphate (Which dragged us back into Iraq) and expanded Iranian influence immensely in Iraq.

2 hours ago, visionary said:

Uh....really hope this isn't related....(I do remember they used to have a lot of crashes)

 

 

Weird timing. Wouldn't surprise me if it was accidentally shot down by the Iranians. Imagine their air defense personnel may be a little jumpy.

19 minutes ago, Mr. Sinister said:

 

Hoping, but not optimistic.  

Well if we do launch attacks on Iran in a retaliation it will target their IADs and Nuclear facilities. 

Missile strikes from Iran of rocket attacks from within Iraq?  That and/or the results of the attack likely will play into US response or lack there of.

13 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

 

Well with that opinion, good thing the "radical left" has pretty much zero influence outside of maybe twitter tailgate.

Fixed that for you.😀

1 minute ago, CousinsCowgirl84 said:

So we are killing the guy who wanted us out of Iraq and then giving him his dying wish...

Don't think he wanted to pay for it with his life though.

12 minutes ago, Zguy28 said:

At the rate this is going, we may need the Avengers.

No they are hopelessly obsolete (by about 75 years)  and very few if any remain in flyable condition.😏

Edit:  More than I expected (37) can still fly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUUjaFlhJTs

.

Re: Soliemani - it would have been a nice touch if we used EFPs to kill him (Since apparently we knew his route).  It would have been ironic justice.

https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/soleimani-s-legacy-the-gruesome-high-tech-ieds-that-haunted-us-troops-in-iraq-1.613460

37 minutes ago, Llevron said:

Arnt all B-52s capable of dropping nukes? If so, whats the point of the examiner saying it like that? Just to freak people out? Thats **** is dumb!

No not anymore. Due to treaty requirements (with the Soviets - treaty remained in effect carried over with the Russians) certain models are designed to only carry conventional weapons

On 1/6/2020 at 8:03 PM, kingdaddy said:

Once we draft Young, with the possible additions of Reuben Foster, Bryce Love, whatever free agents we get, a second year Haskins and a new coaching staff, could this be the most anticipated Skins season ever???? At least since 2012.

No that abortion of a 2000 season was the most anticipated season I can remember (I remember as I got into lots of arguments over the Sanders signing, which I hated, over how great he was going to be vice what a waste of money and disruption he'd be).

2 hours ago, RansomthePasserby said:

Just a thought, but I’m wondering if the DoD sent this memo to the Iraqi government to formally honor the parliament’s and PM’s decision to expel the US military (a decision in which all non-Shia members abstained from voting), and behind closed doors, the Iraqi government asked the US to stay. Something the Iraqi government doesn’t have the courage to do outright with the current Shia outrage.....

 

 

That would be normal operating procedure by the Iraqis (Which is why the Presidents threats against Iraq were so stupid and highly counter productive).

Well, looks like things are deteriorating. 

10 minutes ago, TheGreatBuzz said:

Per CNN, the CJCOS has said the letter is a mistake and should not have been released and that forces are NOT leaving Iraq.

I was an adviser to the Iraqi officer the letter was addressed to, LTG Amir. (I looked up his picture to be sure).  He was a LTG 9 years ago as well (Deputy IGFC Commander) surprised he hadn't been promoted since then. 

4 minutes ago, Hersh said:

 

The problem is this administration isn't clear on the reasoning as to why now and there is no indication of a long term strategy. Can you imagine the Trump administation coming out and saying:

1. Here is exactly why we did this now. 

2. Here is why we determined, even after others have passed on the opportunity in that past, why it was the right time. 

3. We spoke with multiple allies and informed Congress before the mission. 

4.  Here is our long term objective with Iran. Should they attempt to retaliate we will strike military installations. 

 

Ya know, general compentency. 

Again, I'm not going to defend the competence of Trump (Heck I knew he'd shoot his mouth off over the weekend in enormously counter-productive ways). All I'm saying is killing Soleimani was the right move.  (I'm sure if Trump was in charge during the Bin Laden raid he'd be poking the Pakistanis in the eye in the worst ways imaginable).

36 minutes ago, Jumbo said:

 

 

well **** dude 

 

what subject in all of human history are you not a knowledgeable authority on? 

 

 

fwiw, most auto mechanics who also own the shop i've known are the same way 

 

 

i'm busting on twa, but he really does know a lot about a lot of stuff (glass half full)

 

at least that what he tells me

 

I know more.😜

6 minutes ago, Cooked Crack said:

Do/did you think Iraq was the right move?

At the time yes.  I'm not infallible - no one is (Including Presidents).  People and  Presidents make mistakes, you have to adjust accordingly when you make those mistakes (Do/Did you think pulling out of Iraq in 2011 was the right move?)

36 minutes ago, Jumbo said:

 

to answer your question---just a little, but enough to know who he was and a fair amount of what he's been linked to, and that like any of "those guys', i prefer them dead and don't care how they got killed, other than--and this of course is what most folks here are up about, as anyone think and not being disingenuous should be able to get, inc twa and you---if the context of it causes or reflects some problems that result in a setback as significant as any gain or even outweighs the inherent value of his departure, or begs to be evaluated in 'why now" in weighing risk/benefit because that matters

 

and that's certainly where we are if you're a thinking person imv....it's a worthy conversation screaming for examination most particularly because of what trump's motives might have been among other things (like consequences)...not a blithe "it's all good, no need to ask questions, he's a terrorist and a killer"

 

if there really was what the admin says there was in him leading some expansive amd imminent plan of attack on american interests that was going to be deployed, that's fine....i'd like to see the rationale presented in some way where "nat'l security" isn't used to perhaps obstruct a less palatable truth

 

i.e. at minimum, the gang of 8 being shown the reasons and saying 'ok', the claim of imminent attacks was legit, even if there are political arguments to still be made against it, as a start

 

trump and his admin can hardly be accorded much, if any, benefit of the doubt from any reasonable thinker on the matter

 

 

 

Problem is one can fall into binary responses to everything. (Trump did it therefore I oppose it, Trump opposes it therefore I support it, Trump nominates so and so therefore he is scum... etc.)  I'm no fan of Trump but it was an opportune time to kill Soleimani given the actions of the IRGC conduct over the last year and the US responses to that conduct (until late last month it was very restrained -heck almost bent over backward restrained).

Sure my views may be colored by personal/professional experience but I definitely think killing him was the right decision and was in the best interests of the United States. 

14 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

.....

 

 

 

Well according to the comments and commentary on my facebook news feed, all you need is a few hours of cable news to make one a foreign policy expert. 

Which is why I'm asking who, on this board,  knew of him prior to his recent lamented death.

1 hour ago, Cooked Crack said:

 

26% of people are liars

https://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/athena/files/2020/01/06/5e132ad9c5b6b5a713bddb44.pdf

Question how many of you posting here had a substantial knowledge base on who Soleimani was prior to his death?

And yes i did (Which was why I was pretty happy hearing the news that he was killed and we were the ones who killed him).

20 minutes ago, Llevron said:

 

You dont even want to be taken seriously do you? Its clear and has been said that the worry is how and why it happened as well as what happens next. Not that it did. If you cant even come to the correct table then we cant expect anything of worth to come from your participation. Not that anyone does. But i really want you to either be better to go away. One of those is clearly not happening to please, just be better. Please. Seriously im begging you to not post stupid things. No one wants that. 

 

edit: Smart reaction. And expected. 

If you want to a safe space from opposing views I suggest you join Democratic Underground.

Well the weekend is over and I see the hand wringing and wailing over Soleimani's death is in full bloom in the Tailgate.  I of course am still glad we killed him.