Trump administration warns Congress Iran could retaliate against US 'within weeks'

[jpak]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN)The Trump administration has warned members of Congress that Iran is expected to retaliate against the US "within weeks" for the strike that killed Qasem Soleimani even as they failed to convince some that the operation was merited due to an imminent threat against American lives.

There are also intense discussions taking place inside US military and intelligence agencies to assess whether Iran might be preparing some type of retaliatory strikes in the next few days or wait for some time, according to a US official with direct knowledge of the situation. "There are conflicting views" on whether Iran will quickly retaliate or wait, but US military defenses are ready, the official said.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Mark Milley publicly addressed the issue of potential retaliation from Iran Friday. When asked whether there is now a risk to US safety in the region, Milley bluntly said, "Damn right there is risk."

Officials from the National Security Council, State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies echoed that concern during classified briefings Friday, making it clear that it is not a question of if Iran will respond, but when, where and how, a source with knowledge of what was discussed told CNN.

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Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/04/politics/trump-iran-intel-retaliation-concerns/index.html

[Turbineguy]

1. I am

astonished.

How very clever of them!

[pwb]

2. Ho Hum with the pretend urgency. Fake build up as usual.

Fuck off white house.

[Pantagruel]

3. Wait?

They assassinated the guy to make us safer, now they expect us to take one or more hits? The only way to describe Trump foreign policy is whimsical and illogical.

[dead_head]

14. pre-emptive strike

That's what I don't understand (well there's a hundred of things I don't understand in this story but...)

If you're afraid of getting attacked and you make a pre-emptive strike and the target gets right back up, you made the FIRST STRIKE!


I see though guy comments all over the net, but thoughness without brains is pretty much useless.

[greatauntoftriplets]

4. Really, Spanky???

I could have figured that out for myself. In fact, I did. I also deduced that they could wait until we're least expecting it.

[packman]

5. No shit - boy, am I glad those 20+million $ crystal balls are working

Really - "Officials from the National Security Council, State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies " are concerned. Hell, I asked my cat as he was licking his ass and he said, "Just wait for it" (My cat and I speak a lot since the gecko died)

[bucolic_frolic]

6. That was the whole idea, wasn't it?

A recurring escalation to take the focus off impeaching and removing the imbecile in the White House?

[TexasBushwhacker]

19. And to tip his buddies off so they could buy oil and defense contractor stocks.

Exxon, Chevron, Shell, Raytheon, Halliburton, Lockeed Martin, all up since Dec 31st.

[onetexan]

7. this whole mess was completely manufactured by the Idiot for political expediency

my God, we are in a world of hurt now. The situation now is what we've feared all along since this imposter cheated his way into the oval office.

[dewsgirl]

8. Really, I think I blind man would see this, I'm certain the members

of Congress, were speechless at the stupidity.

[Frustratedlady]

9. We (and, Congress) have pretty well figured that out. What we want to know is...

what was the imminent threat that brought Trump to his decision to strike?

It's been days now and we still don't know what that threat involved?

[PSPS]

10. The "imminent threat" is impeachment and we've all now been forced to be trump's human shields.

[Frustratedlady]

12. Right after I posted that comment, I noticed the WH has sent an explanation...

to Congress of what happened, but it is highly classified. That's to keep the laughter-level down when the common people read his excuses for the command to strike.

I agree. Funny how that strike happened about the time a bunch of court rulings and 3016 campaign emails were released. I think Trump was about to get hit with an avalanche of unfavorable events at home.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. On That Point

They knew an attack was IMMINENT, but now retaliation will occur over some vague # of weeks?
Imminent suggests they knew what, when, and where to some degree of certainty.
Now, they're guessing?
No, I don't expect them to make sense, but this is strong evidence of wag the dog.

[moonseller66]

11. Shades of 1964...

Welcome to 2020's Gulf of Dumbkin!

[Lulu KC]

13. Um yeah they kind of knew that

which is why this may not have been brilliant.
But no one's calling me for strategic advice!

[rickyhall]

15. Same old shit, different decade.

[bluestarone]

16. I know it would NEVER happen BUT IF

We were attacked, tRUMP would get behind every rethug in congress and let THEM die first!!

[stillcool]

17. does anyone else find it odd...

that Russia, China, and Iran had 4 days of joint military exercises starting on Dec. 27th?
https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/27/asia/china-russia-iran-military-drills-intl-hnk/index.html

[Frustratedlady]

22. No, I had never seen that article. Very interesting.

Maybe you should post it as its own subject line?

[Bradical79]

18. Really did a great job preventing war

and making everyone safer with your attack. Bang up job, guys. /s

[Mc Mike]

20. No one told him about that before the drone strike, I guess.

[Maxheader]

23. That should be good..

For military expansion within americu..Tents sprouting on the hillsides
near you...Military jeeps prowling the countryside...
Draft...

[Rebl2]

24. THANKS TRUMP

[sandensea]

25. Meaning: Cheeto will have a bomb placed on U.S. soil sometime soon, w/ Iranian passports "on site"

Don't put this past him. Nothing is out of bounds for these miscreants, if they think it'll help his re-election chances.

[pandr32]

26. So tRump, Pompeo, and their team of clowns

...should go take care of their mess in person.
Didn't tRumpy already loudly declare that if Iran dared to retaliate the U.S. already had over 50 Iranian sites locked-in to bomb? Wasn't this supposed to deter Iran from retaliating?
We should not have to send our children, spouses, other family and friends to be killed for tRump.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. Wasn't eliminating Suleimani supposed to make us safer?

This whole thing stinks like those missing WMDs.