Defense officials warn that US troops could face consequences in the Middle East after Trump overruled the Pentagon and declared Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist group.
Politico reported:
Trump chose to overrule the Pentagon after National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo advised that the top brass’ warnings about risks to U.S. troops are overblown, several officials with direct knowledge of the deliberations told POLITICO.
The president’s move came despite Pentagon officials’ warnings that it could lead to retaliatory attacks against U.S. troops by Iranian-backed forces in the Middle East and threats from Iranian leaders that U.S. troops could face “consequences.”
“Like most things Iran-related, DoD opposed,” said a senior defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing tensions between the White House National Security Council, which has mounted a “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, and a Pentagon brass that has cautioned against unnecessary provocations.
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Trump is placing US troops in danger
Trump felt emboldened after Iran didn’t retaliate after the last Pentagon warning, so he is openly defying the advice of military leaders, who are in charge of keeping troops and the country protected. Trump has shown time and again that he is definitely not smarter than the generals. Iran has already retaliated, but it only seems like a matter of time before the “big brain” of Donald Trump gets soldiers killed.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
