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[Joe]

Trump cabinet members, National Security Adviser General H.R. McMaster and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Mike Pompeo, spoke today at the "Foundations for Defense of Democracies Summit"

FDD has been described as being a hawkish think-tank that defends "right-wing Israeli policy" with an anti-Iran bias.

Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_for_Defense_of_Democracies

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a think tank based in Washington, D.C., focusing on national security and foreign policy. Its political leanings have been described variously as either nonpartisan or neoconservative.

The International Relations Center features a report on the foundation on its "Right Web" website, a program of the left-of-center think-tank Institute for Policy Studies which, according to its mission statement, seeks to "check the militaristic drift of the country".

The report states that "although the FDD is an ardent critic of terrorism, it has not criticized actions taken by Israel against Palestinians that arguably fall into this category". It terms the FDD a "prominent member of the web of neoconservative-aligned think tanks", including the American Enterprise Institute, the Hudson Institute and Freedom House.

ThinkProgress concluded, "Most of the major donors are active philanthropists to 'pro-Israel' causes both in the U.S. and internationally. With the disclosure of its donor rolls, it becomes increasingly apparent that FDD's advocacy of U.S. military intervention in the Middle East, its hawkish stance against Iran, and its defense of right-wing Israeli policy is consistent with its donors' interests in 'pro-Israel' advocacy".

---


On Iran:

https://twitter.com/DefenseBaron/status/921069517454893058

Lt. Gen. HR McMaster begins speech on Iran and America's lack of ”strategic competence...in recent years"

https://twitter.com/K8brannen/status/921080122278600707

McMaster is asked: What is wrong with the Iran nuclear deal? He half-jokingly takes out cards with Trump's quotes about it on them.

https://twitter.com/EliLake/status/921079898982273026

McMaster at @FDD: ”I was just talking to a European ally who was tongue tied over the JCPOA, I said, ”Just say ‘worst deal ever."

https://twitter.com/CurtMills/status/921073686958034944

MCMASTER: "Iran is very good at pitting communities against each other. This is something they have in common with groups like ISIS, like al-Qaeda."

https://twitter.com/FDD/status/921072991378853888

"We would like to see a stable #Iraq that is not aligned with #Iran." - Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster

https://twitter.com/sarahcwestwood/status/921037347839447040

Pompeo at @FDD: "The notion that the entry into the JCPOA would curtail Iranian adventurism...has now proven to be fundamentally false."

https://twitter.com/Greg_Hellman/status/921095960754884609

Pompeo: Administration is set to document al-Qaeda, Iran links

---


On North Korea:

https://twitter.com/markknoller/status/919557426919198721

McMaster says if Kim Jong Un thinks his nuclear program is keeping him safer, he's wrong.

https://twitter.com/GalloVOA/status/921083455340982273

On North Korea, McMaster says the idea of "accept and deter" is "unacceptable."

https://twitter.com/KingstonAReif/status/921091733386960897

McMaster quotes: "we're running out of time"; Trump "not going to accept this regime threatening the United States with a nuclear weapon"

https://twitter.com/FDD/status/921084711044304896

"The only acceptable objective is denuclearization." - H.R. McMaster on #NorthKorea strategy

https://twitter.com/W7VOA/status/921041310651469826

#DPRK growing ever closer to having its #nuclear capability "perfected," says @CIA Director Pompeo

Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk), a nonproliferation and arms expert, likened McMaster's comments on North Korea to General Maxwell Taylor, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who urged President Kennedy to invade Cuba and authorize pre-emptive strikes, potentially even nuclear strikes if needed, on Cuba during the Cuba Missile Crisis.

General Taylor wrongly believed there were no Russian nuclear weapons in Cuba at the time.

https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/921127481020764160

McMaster here sounds like General Maxwell Taylor and the Joint Chiefs during the Cuban Missile Crisis. That is not a compliment.

https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/921128312495333379

Taylor urged JFK to invade Cuba promptly. He too believed he still had time for a military solution.

https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1961-63v11/d34

https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/921129922097303553

Proponents of invading Cuba in retrospect seem to have believed that Soviet nuclear weapons were not yet in Cuba.

https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/921133013072740352

Taylor was wrong. There were about 100 Soviet tactical nuclear weapons in Cuba.

http://foreignpolicy.com/2012/10/10/cuba-almost-became-a-nuclear-power-in-1962/

https://twitter.com/ArmsControlWonk/status/921134339290730497

There were also 60 nuclear warheads for 40 R-12 and R-14 missiles that could strike the United States.

http://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB449/

---


Bonus Quotes:

https://twitter.com/DefenseBaron/status/921078274507378689

McMaster on Trump: "He's made some, I think, truly landmark speeches" for foreign policy: in Saudi, Poland, on Afghan, Iran

https://twitter.com/GalloVOA/status/921085477930840064

McMaster closes by saying "we should happy for the president's leadership," which he says is "based in reality" and will deliver prosperity.

https://twitter.com/John_Hudson/status/921051033199050752

CIA Director Mike Pompeo: "We're going to become a much more vicious agency"

https://twitter.com/JSchanzer/status/921050516959956992

Pompeo vowing that the CIA is about to become ”far more aggressive" in pursuing its mission

https://twitter.com/FDD/status/921087101558513664

"#ISIS may be gone in Iraq/Syria but #Iran's land bridge across region is coming to a theatre near you" John Hannah closes out #FDDSummit

 

[pulsemyne]

Jeez it's like the ramblings of mad men. I mean even trying to tie Al Qaeda to Iran....
Also what european ally did he talk too? Because the UK, france and Germany all agree the deal is good. He probably talked to some other right wing nut bag.

 

[Master Yoshi]

This administration.

 

[KernelPanic]

Trump’s strategy:

1) Take out GWB plans to justify war with Iraq
2) Replace “q” with “r”.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

I think after today's events we can put to rest the idea that Mattis, Kelly and others are the adults in the administration.

 

[watershed]

I wish I could believe that they are just saying these things to please Trump, but republican foreign policy has always been this way.

 

[Slayven]

I think after today's events we can put to rest the idea that Mattis, Kelly and others are the adults in the administration.

I wish people stop doing that with Trump's enablers. They are in on it and they see why more shit then we could ever dream

 

[Beartruck]

People who claimed Bush was worse because he fought a war on 2 fronts, well, Trump's about to do the same thing, except 1 of the 2 is a nuclear power. Let's see that argument when Seoul and Tokyo are radioactive craters.

 

[mreddie]

 

[innervision961]

Could we please not start wars all over the place, this is the beginning of world war 3 it seems like :/

 

[m_shortpants]

As if the CIA hasn't already been vicious.

 

[120v]

hate to be glass half full about anything Trump but i just don't see the logistics in intensive military action against iran and NK. not ruling it out but even the most hawkish commanders would have to wade through layers of derp trying to map it out, much less justify it

 

[whipihguh]

Can't wait to see this totally justified saber-rattling all come to fruition and definitely not blow up into a horrific disaster for everyone involved.

 

[BrassDragon]

Jeez it's like the ramblings of mad men. I mean even trying to tie Al Qaeda to Iran....
Also what european ally did he talk too? Because the UK, france and Germany all agree the deal is good. He probably talked to some other right wing nut bag.

This puzzles me as well - all EU governments have supported JCPOA with clarity and commitment.

Turkey maybe?

Pompeo is a Trump lickspittle with no regard for his own analysts. His talk about viciousness may refer to clandestine/paramilitary/cyber operations to halt the DPRK's nuclear proliferation in tandem with some harebrained military intervention.

At any rate, it's clear now that the so-called 'adults' around Trump aren't just containing him and keeping policy sane. They're part of the problem.

 

[Magwik]

McMaster comes off as a McBitch in some of those quotes praising Trump.

 

[Korigama]

As if the CIA hasn't already been vicious.

First thought that came to mind on the subject.

 

[trembli0s]

This puzzles me as well - all EU governments have supported JCPOA with clarity and commitment.

Turkey maybe?

Pompeo is a Trump lickspittle with no regard for his own analysts. His talk about viciousness may refer to clandestine/paramilitary/cyber operations to halt the DPRK's nuclear proliferation in tandem with some harebrained military intervention.

At any rate, it's clear now that the so-called 'adults' around Trump aren't just containing him and keeping policy sane. They're part of the problem.

Reading between the lines the French are not happy about the sunset and ICBM exemptions in the JCPOA. As always the Euros are happy to sit back and let Uncle Sam be the bellicose complainer and mediate between both sides.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Yes, that's what the American public has really been clamoring for; a more vicious CIA.

 

[Lightning_Roller]

We are so fucked.....

 

[Blizzard]

Well if McMaster is onboard too, there's a good chance we're all doomed. He was supposed to be the one halfway sane person around.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Pompeo at @FDD: "The notion that the entry into the JCPOA would curtail Iranian adventurism...has now proven to be fundamentally false."

NOBODY MADE THIS ARGUMENT!!!!


It was about preventing nukes, thats it!



Also McMaster has made some very worrying comments. We might see nuclear war because these idiots can't get over their egos that a small asian country might be able to nuke the US with 70+ year old tech.

 

[hobozero]

Trump’s strategy:

1) Take out GWB plans to justify war with Iraq
2) Replace “q” with “r”.

Where is Irar? Is that near Nambia?

 

[BrassDragon]

Reading between the lines the French are not happy about the sunset and ICBM exemptions in the JCPOA. As always the Euros are happy to sit back and let Uncle Sam be the bellicose complainer and mediate between both sides.

Only in this case, Uncle Sam elected a manchild with no regard for facts, nuance or coherent strategy and is threatening to unilaterally pull out of the deal.

You seem to assume the worst about the 'Euros' but a more realistic read is that Macron, after a good talk with Tillerson, was trying to navigate towards a compromise that would leave JCPOA intact while throwing Trump a bone. This wasn't some subtle backchanneling, Macron floated the idea of a supplemented deal to save the whole agreement publicly. But the idea is dead in the water diplomatically.

 

[Wet Bloodfart]

Well if McMaster is onboard too, there's a good chance we're all doomed. He was supposed to be the one halfway sane person around.

I don't see how you can infer doom in this. It sounds just like every other statement on NK the last decade or so.

 

[Hazzuh]

Well if McMaster is onboard too, there's a good chance we're all doomed. He was supposed to be the one halfway sane person around.

Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy all had to ignore the advice of military chiefs who advised them to use nuclear weapons, imagine what Trump would do in the same situation.

 

[HerbertBirdsfoot]

So far Mattis is the only of the Trump appointee generals showing much sanity. McMaster scary on NK and Kelly appears all in on Trump nonsense.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Well if McMaster is onboard too, there's a good chance we're all doomed. He was supposed to be the one halfway sane person around.

McMaster and Mattis are both Iran hawks.

Many people involved with the Iraq war despise Iran because Iran was heavily involved with killing and hurting US objectives in that country.

But that has nothing to do with the nuke deal. I conventionally armed Iran is a lot easier to counter than one with nukes!

His NK comments scare me. Thought they keep walking back their read line. First it was "No ICMB", now its "threaten the US" which is relatively meaningless.

I hope they know what war would entail (10s of millions dead, Trump and his administration forever know as the most evil people on earth) and are just trying to rhetorically pretend the threat isn't real.

Pomepo said that NK is "months away" but the thing is, and he knows it (the IC has a consensus) that they have the tech and ability now. If a war starts and the NK regime is threatened they will launch and likely hit a US city

My guess is when NK proves their next capability they'll hide behind the GMD as meaning that the NKs don't threaten us (which is a lie, its not a defense against a salvo of missiles and is a coin flip for one)

Every single one of these articles should come with the disclaimer:

WAR WITH NK IS A NUCLEAR WAR

there is no military option with out a nuclear bomb going off.

So far Mattis is the only of the Trump appointee generals showing much sanity. McMaster scary on NK and Kelly appears all in on Trump nonsense.

Mattis I think has a much deeper connection with the troops and know what war would entail.

the Joint Chief has sounded sane but he's not in the chain of command

 

[DontBeThatGuy]

Mattis (especially Mattis), McMaster, all these fucking assholes have a hard on for war with Iran.

 

[Blizzard]

I don't see how you can infer doom in this. It sounds just like every other statement on NK the last decade or so.

I'm talking about McMaster saying the stuff about Trump's speeches being groundbreaking, Trump's policies leading to policy, etc. etc.

Either he's doing that for PR or he actually onboard covering for Trump. I'd like to think he's just doing the walk to keep Trump from firing him so he can influence policy or whatever, but I'm not convinced yet.


*edit* Maybe I was thinking Mattis was supposed to be the halfway sane one, as someone else pointed out above.

 

[Byakuya769]

Pompeo: Administration is set to document al-Qaeda, Iran links

I've seen this play before.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

I'm talking about McMaster saying the stuff about Trump's speeches being groundbreaking, Trump's policies leading to policy, etc. etc.

Either he's doing that for PR or he actually onboard covering for Trump. I'd like to think he's just doing the walk to keep Trump from firing him so he can influence policy or whatever, but I'm not convinced yet.


*edit* Maybe I was thinking Mattis was supposed to be the halfway sane one, as someone else pointed out above.

TBF they all wanted to stay in the Iran deal, McMaster was doing dem outreach to basically change the US law so trump wouldn't have to certify.

This stuff is likely to be fore trump but again, NK isn't deaf and this raises the chances of miscalculation. And miscalculation in this situation is nuclear war.

 

[blackflag]

Trump’s strategy:

1) Take out GWB plans to justify war with Iraq
2) Replace “q” with “r”.

This is what I was thinking the entire time reading this.

 

[Zophar]

All this rhetoric and yet zero signs of the war machine ramping up to launch a military action in NK *or* Iran.

Even if the people in charge want this they *must* understand there's no way they do either without requiring maximum armed forces commitment, and so far there's nothing to suggest they're serious about military intervention.

It's scary as hell but it helps my anxiety to remember the only thing suggesting we're going this way is words.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

All this rhetoric and yet zero signs of the war machine ramping up to launch a military action in NK *or* Iran.

Even if the people in charge want this they *must* understand there's no way they do either without requiring maximum armed forces commitment, and so far there's nothing to suggest they're serious about military intervention.

It's scary as hell but it helps me to remember the only thing suggesting we're going this way is words.

We could also just see humiliating defeat....

 

[Extollere]

I feel like we're definitely going to war with somebody before the first term of this administration is over. I mean Christ, they're actively looking for excuses to start one.

 

[Gabriel_Logan]

I feel like we're definitely going to war with somebody before the first term of this administration is over. I mean Christ, they're actively looking for excuses to start one.

Twist it's the UK.

 

[Shauni]

I think after today's events we can put to rest the idea that Mattis, Kelly and others are the adults in the administration.

Well this was neither Mattis nor Kelly, so I really see no reason to bring them up. And being, 'the adult in the room' has little to do with their shitty views and more about having the ability to keep a situation stable, which Kelly especially is trying to do.

As far as on topic, McMasters really torpedoed himself here.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

What the fuck happened to McMaster? This from the guy who wrote a book on how soldiers should have told Nixon to go fuck himself during the Vietnam War? Is it really that Trump just corrupts anyone close to him?

 

[Lubricus]

George Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and the Dick Cheney did the same thing. It increases one's chance for re-election.

 

[Giganteus]

His NK comments scare me. Thought they keep walking back their read line. First it was "No ICMB", now its "threaten the US" which is relatively meaningless.

He's referring to their ability to employ nuclear weapons using an ICBM that's undergone final testing and is now in mass production. I believe that's what he means with not allowing them to threaten the US, even though they technically can already launch one at us. The red line hasn't changed, but it's fast approaching, and he just very explicitly said sanctions (that wont work) or war are the only two options they'll accept. A pretty significant and irresponsible statement.

Unless they change their minds, they're cornering themselves into a nuclear war.

 

[ISOM]

A whole bunch of Gaffers were arguing for preemptive strikes in the NK missle thread. Not really surprised people in the military would feel the same considering their attitude about war in general. The president is supposed to be the adult in the room though, that's the crazy part here. We don't have that person.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

I'm talking about McMaster saying the stuff about Trump's speeches being groundbreaking, Trump's policies leading to policy, etc. etc.

Either he's doing that for PR or he actually onboard covering for Trump. I'd like to think he's just doing the walk to keep Trump from firing him so he can influence policy or whatever, but I'm not convinced yet.


*edit* Maybe I was thinking Mattis was supposed to be the halfway sane one, as someone else pointed out above.

I'm still on the "can't hope to stop him, you can only hope to contain him" as there is no stopping Dolt 45's sheer malignancy. Im betting that he's finally figured out for sure that the 3 of them are truly his babysitters and are forcing them to do horrible shit as tests of loyalty (note how KELLY was to deliver the Gold Star argument, not a spox flunky). This kind of stuff will continue and become more common as the walls close in.

The rest of this is asking military men about a military solution, they think militarily by default; that's why the DoD is usually non-officer by design. Also terrifying. As is this.

No, they're not white hats, but they are clear ones. But cracks are starting to appear, and they can't hold out forever.

What the fuck happened to McMaster? This from the guy who wrote a book on how soldiers should have told Nixon to go fuck himself during the Vietnam War? Is it really that Trump just corrupts anyone close to him?

#ETTD

 

[Joe]

Hopefully the administration is playing a sick game of chicken.

Though McMaster did draw a very distinct line in the sand and I don't trust the rationalality of the WH.

^^^ President, Council on Foreign Relations
https://twitter.com/RichardHaass/status/921143564486234112

 

[NullPointer]

CIA Director Mike Pompeo: "We're going to become a much more vicious agency"

Something something history something something doomed to repeat it

"We would like to see a stable #Iraq that is not aligned with #Iran." - Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster

Its nice to want things.