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Trump's America stands utterly alone
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/05/opinions/trump-allies-soleimani-iran-conflict-andelman/index.htmlTrump's America stands utterly alone
Opinion by David A. Andelman
Updated 2:14 PM ET, Sun January 5, 2020
(CNN)This time, the United States stands utterly alone.
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Trump has repeatedly alienated most of America's traditional allies and led them to question his style of leadership. He has railed against fellow NATO members, and attacked leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron.
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By killing Soleimani, Trump has provoked a power that has powerful friends, and little to lose. Last month, Iran joined Russia and China on massive joint naval maneuvers in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. China has also proved to be a receptive customer for Iran's oil sales, despite Trump's efforts to crush the Islamic Republic's economy. Iran has also aligned with Russia in backing Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.
History would also suggest that Iran is fully prepared to unleash asymmetric warfare unlike any before seen. Its eight-year war with Iraq from 1980 to 1988 has shown it to be capable of assembling vast reserves of would-be martyrs in the form of human wave attacks unlike anything terrorist groups have been able to mount.
By his action, Trump crossed several critical red lines in the region, without notice and without backup. For the past two years, I have been studying the nature, structure and history of red lines for my forthcoming book, A Line in the Sand: Red Lines in Peace and War," to be published by Pegasus. I've found that the Middle East, particularly Iran, Iraq and Syria today have a density of red lines -- ranging from geographical borders to political, diplomatic or military realities -- replicated in no other region of the world, nor at any other moment in history. Each line must in some fashion be carefully communicated or structured so that all parties understand the reality and the stakes for violating them.
Certainly, Soleimani crossed a critical red line himself by going into Iraq where he was killed in a drone strike at a Baghdad airport. But Trump, by his response, crossed an even more dangerous one by escalating an already tense situation across a red line that was not its own -- without support from crucial allies.
Perhaps most troubling is the fact that Trump does not seem to be at all concerned about his lack of friends and allies, nor for that matter has he expressed any real plan of response beyond a tweeted threat of retaliation against 52 Iranian targets if Iran strikes back. Above all, he does not seem to have an exit strategy or end game in mind. Establishing or violating a red line is not an action to be undertaken cavalierly or without careful consideration as to the response or the outcome.
21 replies
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We are the cheese. 
style of leadership."
STYLE OF LEADERSHIP????
"Perhaps most troubling is the fact that Trump does not seem to be at all concerned about his lack of friends and allies,"
"Establishing or violating a red line is not an action to be undertaken cavalierly or without careful consideration as to the response or the outcome."
WTF is that? Who comes up with these asinine phrases?
Is this guy serious????
Who in the world needs to be told this??
The man is insane and is being run by who the hell knows.. russians, for sure, ... saudis?... american evangelicals? you betcha, disaster capitalists? yup....
STYLE OF LEADERSHIP????
"Perhaps most troubling is the fact that Trump does not seem to be at all concerned about his lack of friends and allies,"
"Establishing or violating a red line is not an action to be undertaken cavalierly or without careful consideration as to the response or the outcome."
WTF is that? Who comes up with these asinine phrases?
Is this guy serious????
Who in the world needs to be told this??
The man is insane and is being run by who the hell knows.. russians, for sure, ... saudis?... american evangelicals? you betcha, disaster capitalists? yup....
