{"id":76914,"date":"2020-01-16T19:10:32","date_gmt":"2020-01-17T00:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=76914"},"modified":"2020-01-16T19:11:31","modified_gmt":"2020-01-17T00:11:31","slug":"the-daily-gouge-archive-wednesday-january-15th-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thedailygouge.com\/?p=76914","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Gouge Archive, Wednesday, January 15th, 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s Wednesday, January 15th, 2020…but before we begin, consider this snippet from a commentary by AEI<\/em>‘s Middle East “expert”, Kenneth Pollack, entitled…<\/strong><\/p>\n

Iran Can Play the Long Game<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

“Iran responded for the killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani exactly as they said they would, with an overt military strike against a pair of American military targets. While the strike was perfunctory and mostly painless for the United States, we should not assume that Iran\u2019s retaliation is over. There is a variety of means over time that Iran can employ to extract real vengeance for Soleimani\u2019s death<\/em><\/span>. Tehran could<\/em><\/span> inflict real harm<\/em><\/span> on the United States and its interests in the years to come<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s meek response did not likely satisfy the desire for revenge felt by so many outraged Iranians, especially those among Tehran\u2019s most senior leaders.<\/span> Further, Soleimani\u2019s killing has probably<\/em><\/span> affected Iran\u2019s internal politics. Iranian hardliners were already ascendant as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal and impose crippling sanctions on Iran<\/em><\/span>.<\/span> Soleimani\u2019s killing will accelerate<\/em><\/span> their rise.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Soleimani\u2019s death has probably changed Iran\u2019s strategic perspective in significant ways, some of which have already manifested themselves since the killing.<\/span> Trump\u2019s eagerness to take credit for the strike — which backed Iran\u2019s leadership into an unnecessary corner and forced them to retaliate overtly –undoubtedly reinforced Tehran\u2019s perception that he is na\u00efve and reckless, and therefore a dangerous threat to Iran<\/em><\/span>.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The demands of honor (barely) satisfied, we should expect Iran to go back to its preferred, covert modus operandi.<\/span> In particular, we should expect Iran to pursue at least four courses of action, both to extract far more meaningful revenge for the Soleimani killing and to pursue their interests in the new strategic circumstances created by the American strike<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span>…”<\/p>\n

So little time…so many conclusions without any facts in evidence.<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, why is it anyone<\/em><\/span> continues to believe<\/em><\/span> Iran is actually abiding by the terms of Obama’s agreement<\/em><\/span>, let alone the Mad Mullahs are somehow<\/em><\/span>, absent<\/em><\/span> Trump’s attack, not planning future strikes<\/em><\/span> on U.S. targets around the globe<\/em><\/span>?!?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Second, does Pollack not recall<\/em><\/span> Suleimani’s execution was in response <\/em>not only to the Iranian-backed murder of an American citizen<\/em><\/span>, but the assault on the U.S. embassy<\/em><\/span>?!?\u00a0 Or that<\/em><\/span> the animal was in<\/em><\/span> Bagdad brazenly planning future attacks<\/em><\/span>?!?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Third, does anyone<\/em><\/span> really believe<\/em><\/span>, Trump’s “eagerness to take credit” being unapparent to anyone other than Pollack<\/em><\/span>, had the Iranians been able to breach the defenses of our Bagdad embassy, they’d have just painted a few “Death to America” slogans on the walls, then voluntarily vacated the premises<\/em><\/span>?!?<\/strong><\/p>\n