General Discussion

spanone

(135,911 posts) Sun Jan 12, 2020, 06:44 PM Jan 2020

Esper says he "didn't see" specific evidence of Iranian threats to 4 embassies

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told CBS News' "Face the Nation" Sunday that he "didn't see" specific evidence that Iran was targeting four U.S. embassies, as President Trump claimed in an interview with Fox News, but that he does share the president's overall concerns.

Why it matters: The controversy over Trump's comments reflects a broader mistrust over the administration's claims that there was intelligence showing Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani posed an "imminent" threat to U.S. forces.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday that the administration did not brief Congress that Iran was allegedly plotting attacks on four U.S. embassies.

House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said on CBS shortly after Esper that the Gang of Eight — a group of top lawmakers who can be briefed on classified intelligence by the executive branch — was not told about the threats either. Schiff accused Trump of "fudging" intelligence.

https://www.axios.com/esper-embassies-trump-dod-iran-soleimani-ec790fcd-0ee4-4ca7-9792-2f4deba7164c.html

8 replies

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Esper says he "didn't see" specific evidence of Iranian threats to 4 embassies (Original Post) spanone Jan 2020 OP

Trump got intelligence from his private military. pwb Jan 2020 #1

Starting to look for his post employment job. bottomofthehill Jan 2020 #2

Could be . . . gratuitous Jan 2020 #3

Esper was Raytheon's top lobbyist before trump hired him dixiegrrrrl Jan 2020 #7

I don't know that it will be quite that easy for him bottomofthehill Jan 2020 #8

Trump just made this embassy thing up on the spot! UCmeNdc Jan 2020 #4

You're fired! kentuck Jan 2020 #5

So, trump's lying. Bullshitting his way through the presidency. spanone Jan 2020 #6

pwb

(11,294 posts)

1. Trump got intelligence from his private military.

Reply to spanone (Original post)

Sun Jan 12, 2020, 06:50 PM

Jan 2020

Don't put it past him?

bottomofthehill

(8,352 posts)

2. Starting to look for his post employment job.

Reply to spanone (Original post)

Sun Jan 12, 2020, 07:03 PM

Jan 2020

Time to start telling the truth, POTUS is just making this shit up. What SecD is saying is that he believes the president believed that there were 4 targeted embassy’s, but in reality there may have been none targeted but the wnd result of bad guy dead is the best outcome.....

gratuitous

(82,849 posts)

3. Could be . . .

Reply to bottomofthehill (Reply #2)

Sun Jan 12, 2020, 07:07 PM

Jan 2020

But the lead man out front all week has been Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State, the nation's leading diplomat. Pompeo isn't in a military or defense position (Esper being quoted here is the Secretary of Defense). I don't know why it isn't being pointed out by our faithful watchdogs of democracy in the media that we're getting military and intelligence explanations from State. It's like getting financial advice from your dentist.

dixiegrrrrl

(60,010 posts)

7. Esper was Raytheon's top lobbyist before trump hired him

Reply to bottomofthehill (Reply #2)

Sun Jan 12, 2020, 11:51 PM

Jan 2020

He knows not to contradict trump and he will certainly have a place to land back at Raytheon when he needs it.

bottomofthehill

(8,352 posts)

8. I don't know that it will be quite that easy for him

Reply to dixiegrrrrl (Reply #7)

Mon Jan 13, 2020, 09:54 AM

Jan 2020

He will not be able to lobby, and with a Democratic Hiuse and Hopefully a Democratic President and Possibly a Democratic Senate, he may have to look further back in his job history and hope to fall with an ideological association like back to Heritage Foundation