“Hegseth is embarrassing every woke general who preceded him. People can and will disagree about the merits of going to war in Iran. We all have our views. But one issue is not up for discussion: Hegseth’s example shames his predecessors.”
“This is literally what Trump just told you. The US flew in, built a secret US base, landed 2 C130s ran 35 miles to a distant mountain, rescued a severely injured pilot from the mountain travelling 35 miles back by foot across open plain, while engaged in massive night time fire fight. Tried to take off in 2 c130s that got stuck in airport. Kept battling until more troops came and took them away, then blew up the C130s in air.”
“The Trump administration has effectively blockaded nearly all oil shipments to Cuba, causing conditions on the island to deteriorate dramatically. In The Atlantic Daily, @will_gottsegen and @vmsalama discuss the White House’s plans in the Caribbean:”
“There is no “blockade” of Cuba. A blockade involves the use of military forces to interdict commerce. Cuba has run out of money to pay people to send them petroleum, so the ships with petroleum stopped showing up and went instead to places that paid.”
“Omama-era DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson praises the operation to rescue the downed F-15 polit and weapons officer, calls it “more complicated than the Bin Laden operation.”
JEH JOHNSON: This operation for the first pilot and the second pilot is a remarkable exercise, demonstration of U.S. military courage, technology, power. I would encourage the president and the secretary of defense, consistent with operational security, share as much of that with the American public so that the American public can appreciate what goes into- this kind of operation was more complicated than the Bin Laden operation, for example.
“Hegseth is embarrassing every woke general who preceded him. People can and will disagree about the merits of going to war in Iran. We all have our views. But one issue is not up for discussion: Hegseth’s example shames his predecessors.”
“Probably helped to have a young GWOT trigger puller SECDEF who just said ‘give those guys whatever they want and get it done’ rather than trying to be too clever by half or whatever.”
It’s not a win, it’s a successful operation. The war of course is still a bad idea and as Trump’s over the top Easter tweet demonstrates, the war is still going badly.
Hesgeth will take a victory lap on this operation, and may keep his job for now, but I’m sure there are standard plans for this type of operation that military planners reach for. Rescuing down pilots is standard policy in not only the US military but also in any western nation. In many cases not only because individual life is valued but in particular pilots are hard to replace. Thus any decision Hesgeth made would’ve been made by any person in his position.
The problems in the operation and the destruction of the planes will hopefully dampen any euphoria. One of the plans in consideration right now is to raid the Iranian uranium storage facility. This would mean landing nearby and establishing a temporary airfield. Given the problems encountered in this operation, the more complex uranium raid will probably fail if the pentagon lets the current euphoria guide them.
Comparing this raid to the evacuation of Afghanistan doesn’t make sense. The logistic scale of the latter was far more complex; its apple and oranges. The evacuation at the Kabul airfield is similar to Dunkirk — you will leave things behind in an evacuation of that scale.
Finally, the fact the pilot was downed and the rescue operation ran into a fire fight and other problems indicate that Iran is not nearly as defeated or destroyed as Trump has claimed.
Cuba is under both a US embargo and now a blockade. Previously Cubans acquired oil through Venezuela in exchange for medical assistance and training. These tankers were initially blocked by the US and then after Maduro was kidnapped deliveries ceased. Mexico attempted to send a tanker of free oil but stopped when the US threatened to levy tariffs against Mexico or any country that brought oil to Cuba. A Russian tanker has arrived in Cuba without any repercussions. Its not just a monetary issue, countries have been threatened by Trump from delivering oil but apparently Russia is exempt.
Even if Cuba doesn’t have money, the foreign companies that run the tourist industry there (mainly Mexican, Cdn and Spanish) do have money yet they too can’t import oil due to US threats.
Sure, no Navy left, no Air Force left, missile and weapon structures, production facilities for all weaponry destroyed, tens of thousands of troop causulities, crushed in the only real fire fight between ground forces in the war…
But sure, totally not defeated…
You don’t seem to understand how this works, or you’re pretending you don’t.
My point is simple; the very fact Iran knocked down two aircraft and then engaged in a firefight indicates their military is not completely destroyed as the Trump admin claims. In addition, Iran has been launching missiles and drones at Israel and the Gulf States. The so-called Iron Dome has been found to be full of holes. Iran still controls the Staits and has laid mines in the seaway. Trump’s Easter tweet indicates that the admin is well aware of these issues.
The Ukraine-Russia war should serve as a lesson in modern warfare. Ukraine has demonstrated an air force and the navy is not necessary in defence. A few cheap drones have neutralised the Russian advantage. And like Ukraine, Iran manufactures its own drones. Cheap easily made drones along with manpads (cheap shoulder held missiles) lower the advantage of the great powers.
In a conventional war, the US and Russia have the advantage but Iran and Ukraine can neutralise any offensive action and that’s all either nation has to do. To paraphrase Kissinger speaking on the Vietnam War, the US/Israel has to win to avoid losing, Iran (Vietnam) only has to avoid losing in order to win. The same goes for Russia/Ukraine.
In the end, I’m still confused about what victory looks like to the US and how it would differ from something they could have achieved diplomatically. And whether the price, still to be determined, is worth it. And by price, I mean the increase or decrease in great power ability — so far only China seems to be ahead. The US is losing equipment, prestige, allies etc
Btw — for all the gnashing of teeth about Europe and NATO — the pilots are now recovering in a hospital at the US base in Germany. The US still needs their European friends.
The pilots are recovering at the US long-term base in Ramstein, which is a far cry from the German government not supporting their NATO ally in the offensive operation against the world’s worst terrorist state.
Another issue: Why is our msm so wanting to see US failure in Iran, even to the point of not desiring for the US to be successful in recovering the downed pilot? Despicable.
Why would a country support another country in an offensive war without any input or planning? Doesn’t make sense. US/Israel did not ask for help nor did they invite others to support (except UK airfields) until things went wrong. Part of the reason we know the war has issues is the Trump admin off/on again requests for support after the fact.
Worst terrorist state? by what metric? Iran supports Houthis and Hezbollah against Saudi Arabia and Israel. None of this should matter to the US. Year after year, the FBI reports that the majority of terrorism in the US is home grown and right wing.
Outside of the middle east, Iran rarely engages in any military/violent activity. Russia for example is far more active in western Europe than Iran.
As for the American media, I was shocked when I watched it in Portugal how bad it generally was and how right wing it was. I’ll stick to CBC, BBC, and the Guardian. They may lean a bit left but they are rarely wrong and they tend to be more compressive in their coverage. US news is very narrow in scope.
AJ — it’s not, it’s a rational decision — don’t support an offensive war with no real goal. As for the American media, it’s far too kind to Trump and his administration.
These are only Iran’s major terrorist actions against the US since 1979, not including direct actions against Israel, other countries or their own people..
1979–1981: The Iran Hostage Crisis
November 4, 1979: Iranian students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, taking 52 American diplomats and citizens hostage. They held them for 444 days. While technically a state-sponsored kidnapping rather than a “terrorist” act in the modern sense, it is the foundational event of U.S.-Iran hostility and involved the direct targeting of U.S. personnel.
1983: Beirut Barracks Bombings
April 18, 1983: A truck bomb exploded at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people (including 17 Americans).
October 23, 1983: Two suicide truck bombs targeted the U.S. Marine barracks and French paratrooper barracks in Beirut. The attack on the Marine barracks killed 241 U.S. servicemen. The group responsible, Hezbollah, was founded and funded by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The U.S. government and international tribunals have consistently attributed the planning and funding of these attacks to Iran.
1985: TWA Flight 847 Hijacking
June 14, 1985: Hezbollah terrorists hijacked TWA Flight 847 from Athens to Rome. During the 17-day ordeal, they tortured passengers and murdered U.S. Navy diver Robert Stethem, throwing his body onto the tarmac in Beirut. The hijackers were linked to Iranian intelligence.
1996: Khobar Towers Bombing
June 25, 1996: A truck bomb detonated outside the Khobar Towers housing complex in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, killing 19 U.S. Air Force personnel and injuring hundreds. A U.S. federal court later ruled that Iran’s IRGC provided material support to the Hezbollah cell responsible for the attack.
2011: Assassination Plot in Washington, D.C.
September 2011: U.S. authorities uncovered a plot by Mansour Arbabsiar (acting on behalf of Iran’s Quds Force) to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. and bomb the Saudi and Israeli embassies in Washington, D.C. The plot was foiled, and Arbabsiar was arrested. This was the first known attempt by Iran to carry out a terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 1979 revolution.
2020: Missile Strikes on U.S. Bases in Iraq
January 8, 2020: In direct retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed IRGC Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, Iran launched ballistic missiles at two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops (Al-Asad Airbase and Erbil Airbase). While no U.S. personnel were killed (due to early warnings), the attack was a direct state-sponsored military strike against U.S. forces, often categorized alongside terrorist tactics in terms of targeting.
2020–Present: Attacks by Iranian-Backed Militias
Since 2020, various Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria (such as Kata’ib Hezbollah and the Popular Mobilization Forces) have conducted hundreds of drone and rocket attacks against U.S. bases. Notable incidents include:
February 2020: A missile barrage on Al-Asad Airbase.
January 2021: A drone attack on an airbase in Erbil, Iraq, injuring U.S. contractors.
October 2023 – Present: Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, these groups have intensified attacks, resulting in the death of three U.S. soldiers in a drone strike on Tower 22 in Jordan on January 28, 2024.
America built an airfield 30 minutes from our second largest city, created a bubble around their airman, rescued that airman, and killed a bunch of our guys in the process, all without a single loss. But look at this plastic-wrapped beef stick.”
—
“Iranian forces recovered an MRE teriyaki beef stick from the U.S. forward base in Isfahan. – Tasnim”
Tychicus your list demonstrates my point; Iran is a regional power and only interested in the Middle East. The attacks by Iran and/or its proxies take place in the Middle East. For the most part, the US is only in the Middle East to support its allies, Israel and the Gulf monarchs. As Trump points out, the US doesn’t need middle east oil — they have no strategic interest in the middle east. One of the lessons of the 2003 Iraqi war was to make the US less dependent on Persian Gulf oil and they have succeeded. During the least election, MAGA candidates stress the need for the US to avoid unnecessary foreign wars and yet here we are.
The US has bases in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Why?? The energy produced there goes to EU and East Asia not North America. The tankers are owned by UAE, Greek, Danish, and other companies. They are flagged by Liberia and Panama. They are crewed by Filipinos. Nothing in the Gulf is in the US interest so why are they there? The Gulf states want them there and why is it in the Gulf interests? They are authoritarian regimes who exploit foreign labour and fear their own people. Perhaps they think a US presence will keep foreign labour and their own people more subdued. Iran then is the bogeyman who opposes the authoritarians and supports Shia peoples in the Gulf states. Sure Iran is interfering in these states but why should the US support the emirs of Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait?
In looking at the 2011 plot in Washington, it’s difficult to establish whether this was condoned by the Iranian gov’t or it was rogue elements. They attempted to use a Mexican drug cartel — not normal practise for Iran. And its alleged Arbabsar was bipolar. In any case the target was the Saudis — not an American target.
As for the embassy hostage taking in 1979 — that’s almost 50 years ago. Coincidentally I just finished an audio book “King of Kings” on my daily walk. It’s on the fall of the Shah. A decent book for background information. From the book, it appears the student takeover of the embassy may have been condoned by the Ayatollah as a means to sideline any moderate Islamists in the gov’t and radicalize the revolution, moreover the students were initially motivated by the US allowing the Shah in the US for medical treatment. The prolonged nature of the hostage situation suited the Ayatollah (and apparently Reagan’s campaign team).
AJ — it was a successful operation, there’s no denying it. But an operation does not make a successful war. To clarify, they didn’t build an airfield, they captured an abandoned airfield. The airfield was in bad shape as the US planes were stuck in the sand.
Did the Iranians admit to any casualties? Did the US claim casualties? I didn’t see any news either way
Wandering Views 
Worth every penny.
And the same people pearl clutching over this were fine leaving billions in equipment behind for the Taliban.
Note they destroyed what they had to leave this time.
Plus, we waste far more on useless things.
https://x.com/i/status/2040952705565213095
“Lose all this to rescue 1 pilot and call it your greatest military success of all time.”
—
“Darn right. The whole thing cost a couple of Quality Learing Centers. That’s a bargain.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
Plus, we’re America, and we don’t leave men behind. The rear echelon types are apparently clueless about that fact.
https://x.com/i/status/2040859865481142755
“Hegseth is embarrassing every woke general who preceded him. People can and will disagree about the merits of going to war in Iran. We all have our views. But one issue is not up for discussion: Hegseth’s example shames his predecessors.”
—
https://x.com/i/status/2040660209610186796
“This is literally what Trump just told you. The US flew in, built a secret US base, landed 2 C130s ran 35 miles to a distant mountain, rescued a severely injured pilot from the mountain travelling 35 miles back by foot across open plain, while engaged in massive night time fire fight. Tried to take off in 2 c130s that got stuck in airport. Kept battling until more troops came and took them away, then blew up the C130s in air.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
Real men fight to WIN, cowards do nothing and go on vacation.
https://x.com/i/status/2040909608974254377
“It’s absolutely absurd that the American military can literally set up an entire military command post behind enemy lines just to rescue 1 pilot
……but the GOP in Congress cannot muster a single ounce of courage whatsoever to pass the SAVE Act
Tells you all you need to know.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Once again the clowns at The Atlantic come in fast with the clown take…
https://x.com/i/status/2040885970078220759
“The Trump administration has effectively blockaded nearly all oil shipments to Cuba, causing conditions on the island to deteriorate dramatically. In The Atlantic Daily, @will_gottsegen and @vmsalama discuss the White House’s plans in the Caribbean:”
—
Reality for the thinking people.
https://x.com/i/status/2040890071176429837
“There is no “blockade” of Cuba. A blockade involves the use of military forces to interdict commerce. Cuba has run out of money to pay people to send them petroleum, so the ships with petroleum stopped showing up and went instead to places that paid.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
“The most epic, successful military operations of my lifetime have been run by a real estate mogul-turned-reality TV star and a Fox News host.
Were the “experts” even trying?”
https://x.com/i/status/2040900520949211279
—
https://x.com/i/status/2040869222201569648
“AFGHANISTAN PULLOUT FAILURE:
“Democrats forget that Joe Biden will fully armed the Taliban with his failed and botched military pull out.
Abbey Gate for 13 Marines killed.
EVERY weapon, gun, bullet, tank, and aircraft were left for the Taliban.
Spare me the “Trump lost an aircraft” nonsense.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
Praise for Hegseth and the Trump admin, from a very unlikely source.
https://x.com/i/status/2040824597155598637
“Omama-era DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson praises the operation to rescue the downed F-15 polit and weapons officer, calls it “more complicated than the Bin Laden operation.”
JEH JOHNSON: This operation for the first pilot and the second pilot is a remarkable exercise, demonstration of U.S. military courage, technology, power. I would encourage the president and the secretary of defense, consistent with operational security, share as much of that with the American public so that the American public can appreciate what goes into- this kind of operation was more complicated than the Bin Laden operation, for example.
KRISTEN WELKER: Wow. That’s saying something.”
LikeLiked by 3 people
He’s a warrior’s warrior.
https://x.com/i/status/2040859865481142755
“Hegseth is embarrassing every woke general who preceded him. People can and will disagree about the merits of going to war in Iran. We all have our views. But one issue is not up for discussion: Hegseth’s example shames his predecessors.”
—
https://x.com/i/status/2040857673722437713
“Probably helped to have a young GWOT trigger puller SECDEF who just said ‘give those guys whatever they want and get it done’ rather than trying to be too clever by half or whatever.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s not a win, it’s a successful operation. The war of course is still a bad idea and as Trump’s over the top Easter tweet demonstrates, the war is still going badly.
Hesgeth will take a victory lap on this operation, and may keep his job for now, but I’m sure there are standard plans for this type of operation that military planners reach for. Rescuing down pilots is standard policy in not only the US military but also in any western nation. In many cases not only because individual life is valued but in particular pilots are hard to replace. Thus any decision Hesgeth made would’ve been made by any person in his position.
The problems in the operation and the destruction of the planes will hopefully dampen any euphoria. One of the plans in consideration right now is to raid the Iranian uranium storage facility. This would mean landing nearby and establishing a temporary airfield. Given the problems encountered in this operation, the more complex uranium raid will probably fail if the pentagon lets the current euphoria guide them.
Comparing this raid to the evacuation of Afghanistan doesn’t make sense. The logistic scale of the latter was far more complex; its apple and oranges. The evacuation at the Kabul airfield is similar to Dunkirk — you will leave things behind in an evacuation of that scale.
Finally, the fact the pilot was downed and the rescue operation ran into a fire fight and other problems indicate that Iran is not nearly as defeated or destroyed as Trump has claimed.
hrw
LikeLike
Cuba is under both a US embargo and now a blockade. Previously Cubans acquired oil through Venezuela in exchange for medical assistance and training. These tankers were initially blocked by the US and then after Maduro was kidnapped deliveries ceased. Mexico attempted to send a tanker of free oil but stopped when the US threatened to levy tariffs against Mexico or any country that brought oil to Cuba. A Russian tanker has arrived in Cuba without any repercussions. Its not just a monetary issue, countries have been threatened by Trump from delivering oil but apparently Russia is exempt.
Even if Cuba doesn’t have money, the foreign companies that run the tourist industry there (mainly Mexican, Cdn and Spanish) do have money yet they too can’t import oil due to US threats.
hrw
LikeLike
Lol.
Sure, no Navy left, no Air Force left, missile and weapon structures, production facilities for all weaponry destroyed, tens of thousands of troop causulities, crushed in the only real fire fight between ground forces in the war…
But sure, totally not defeated…
You don’t seem to understand how this works, or you’re pretending you don’t.
Aj
LikeLiked by 1 person
My point is simple; the very fact Iran knocked down two aircraft and then engaged in a firefight indicates their military is not completely destroyed as the Trump admin claims. In addition, Iran has been launching missiles and drones at Israel and the Gulf States. The so-called Iron Dome has been found to be full of holes. Iran still controls the Staits and has laid mines in the seaway. Trump’s Easter tweet indicates that the admin is well aware of these issues.
The Ukraine-Russia war should serve as a lesson in modern warfare. Ukraine has demonstrated an air force and the navy is not necessary in defence. A few cheap drones have neutralised the Russian advantage. And like Ukraine, Iran manufactures its own drones. Cheap easily made drones along with manpads (cheap shoulder held missiles) lower the advantage of the great powers.
In a conventional war, the US and Russia have the advantage but Iran and Ukraine can neutralise any offensive action and that’s all either nation has to do. To paraphrase Kissinger speaking on the Vietnam War, the US/Israel has to win to avoid losing, Iran (Vietnam) only has to avoid losing in order to win. The same goes for Russia/Ukraine.
In the end, I’m still confused about what victory looks like to the US and how it would differ from something they could have achieved diplomatically. And whether the price, still to be determined, is worth it. And by price, I mean the increase or decrease in great power ability — so far only China seems to be ahead. The US is losing equipment, prestige, allies etc
Btw — for all the gnashing of teeth about Europe and NATO — the pilots are now recovering in a hospital at the US base in Germany. The US still needs their European friends.
hrw
LikeLike
The pilots are recovering at the US long-term base in Ramstein, which is a far cry from the German government not supporting their NATO ally in the offensive operation against the world’s worst terrorist state.
Another issue: Why is our msm so wanting to see US failure in Iran, even to the point of not desiring for the US to be successful in recovering the downed pilot? Despicable.
LikeLike
Sadly, the answer to why is TDS.
Orange Man Bad, as a result, everything he does is bad too. It’s a simplistic, juvenile really, way to look at politics.
Yet it’s widespread, thanks to a useless media packaged with slogans for idiots.
LikeLike
Why would a country support another country in an offensive war without any input or planning? Doesn’t make sense. US/Israel did not ask for help nor did they invite others to support (except UK airfields) until things went wrong. Part of the reason we know the war has issues is the Trump admin off/on again requests for support after the fact.
Worst terrorist state? by what metric? Iran supports Houthis and Hezbollah against Saudi Arabia and Israel. None of this should matter to the US. Year after year, the FBI reports that the majority of terrorism in the US is home grown and right wing.
Outside of the middle east, Iran rarely engages in any military/violent activity. Russia for example is far more active in western Europe than Iran.
As for the American media, I was shocked when I watched it in Portugal how bad it generally was and how right wing it was. I’ll stick to CBC, BBC, and the Guardian. They may lean a bit left but they are rarely wrong and they tend to be more compressive in their coverage. US news is very narrow in scope.
hrw
LikeLike
AJ — it’s not, it’s a rational decision — don’t support an offensive war with no real goal. As for the American media, it’s far too kind to Trump and his administration.
hrw
LikeLike
These are only Iran’s major terrorist actions against the US since 1979, not including direct actions against Israel, other countries or their own people..
1979–1981: The Iran Hostage Crisis
1983: Beirut Barracks Bombings
1985: TWA Flight 847 Hijacking
1996: Khobar Towers Bombing
2011: Assassination Plot in Washington, D.C.
2020: Missile Strikes on U.S. Bases in Iraq
2020–Present: Attacks by Iranian-Backed Militias
LikeLike
All is lost!
Right, HRW? 😆
https://x.com/i/status/2041189193863348389
“I mean, it’s just so stupid.”
America built an airfield 30 minutes from our second largest city, created a bubble around their airman, rescued that airman, and killed a bunch of our guys in the process, all without a single loss. But look at this plastic-wrapped beef stick.”
—
“Iranian forces recovered an MRE teriyaki beef stick from the U.S. forward base in Isfahan. – Tasnim”
LikeLike
Tychicus your list demonstrates my point; Iran is a regional power and only interested in the Middle East. The attacks by Iran and/or its proxies take place in the Middle East. For the most part, the US is only in the Middle East to support its allies, Israel and the Gulf monarchs. As Trump points out, the US doesn’t need middle east oil — they have no strategic interest in the middle east. One of the lessons of the 2003 Iraqi war was to make the US less dependent on Persian Gulf oil and they have succeeded. During the least election, MAGA candidates stress the need for the US to avoid unnecessary foreign wars and yet here we are.
The US has bases in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Why?? The energy produced there goes to EU and East Asia not North America. The tankers are owned by UAE, Greek, Danish, and other companies. They are flagged by Liberia and Panama. They are crewed by Filipinos. Nothing in the Gulf is in the US interest so why are they there? The Gulf states want them there and why is it in the Gulf interests? They are authoritarian regimes who exploit foreign labour and fear their own people. Perhaps they think a US presence will keep foreign labour and their own people more subdued. Iran then is the bogeyman who opposes the authoritarians and supports Shia peoples in the Gulf states. Sure Iran is interfering in these states but why should the US support the emirs of Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait?
In looking at the 2011 plot in Washington, it’s difficult to establish whether this was condoned by the Iranian gov’t or it was rogue elements. They attempted to use a Mexican drug cartel — not normal practise for Iran. And its alleged Arbabsar was bipolar. In any case the target was the Saudis — not an American target.
As for the embassy hostage taking in 1979 — that’s almost 50 years ago. Coincidentally I just finished an audio book “King of Kings” on my daily walk. It’s on the fall of the Shah. A decent book for background information. From the book, it appears the student takeover of the embassy may have been condoned by the Ayatollah as a means to sideline any moderate Islamists in the gov’t and radicalize the revolution, moreover the students were initially motivated by the US allowing the Shah in the US for medical treatment. The prolonged nature of the hostage situation suited the Ayatollah (and apparently Reagan’s campaign team).
hrw
LikeLike
AJ — it was a successful operation, there’s no denying it. But an operation does not make a successful war. To clarify, they didn’t build an airfield, they captured an abandoned airfield. The airfield was in bad shape as the US planes were stuck in the sand.
Did the Iranians admit to any casualties? Did the US claim casualties? I didn’t see any news either way
hrw
LikeLike
The point is that they are terrorist acts.
LikeLiked by 1 person