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TheAlchemist 13 hours ago

And now what ?

If the current regime stays in power, it's pretty much a guarantee that they will pursue nuclear weapons by all means available, in the future.

If the US / Israel want to topple the regime... that worked really well in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afganistan....

Also, isn't it really illegal for a US president to authorize a strike like this without Congress ?

PeterHolzwarth 12 hours ago | parent | next [-]

No, it is not illegal for a US president to authorize strikes like this. American hasn't formally declared war since WWII.

Iran has been pursuing nuclear weapons for decades - and no one, especially no one in the middle east - wants a nuclear armed Iran. America and its partners - and quite often its not-partners - have been working to stop Iranian uranium enrichment for a very long time.

As for "guarantees they will pursue nuclear weapons by all means" -- that's the point: they've already been doing so nonstop for decades.

In much of the middle east, Iran is detested, and a nuclear armed Iran is deeply feared throughout the region. Iran with nukes means the rest of the middle east will feel compelled to pursue nuclear weapons as well. Again, in vast swaths of the middle east, Iran is considered an enemy.

TheAlchemist 10 hours ago | parent [-]

"they've already been doing so nonstop for decades" - I would think it's not that complicated to make a nuclear bomb today, is it ? Technology has been there for almost 100 years already.

PeterHolzwarth 9 hours ago | parent [-]

Your thinking would be wrong, then. Making nuclear weapons is ridiculously complicated, tedious, and requires access to loads of very specific technology.

TheAlchemist 8 hours ago | parent [-]

I would actually love to read a bit about it. Like, let's say a reasonably sized developed country - say Australia for example, decides that making nukes it's a national priority. How long it would take them ?

seydor 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> that worked really well in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afganistan....

I think that was the plan. Israeli and american and turkish planes are now freely flying over Syria , iraq, (i assume also afghanistan) to conduct attacks. Iran is being set up as theater for long proxy war. The rest of middle east and libya is controlled by turkey & israel which seem to have complementary interests as proxies of the US. At the moment it appears the US/israeli dominance in the whole former Ottoman empire is strong, but inevitably (and quickly) we will see dozens of unconventional wars in the region (what we call terrorism)

fiatpandas 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

President can authorize precision strikes and special ops if there’s imminent threat justification. I’m not arguing either way if this strike was justified, but there’s legal pathways for it. The congress rule is about declaring war.

ergocoder 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> the US / Israel want to topple the regime... that worked really well in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afganistan....

Then, they wouldn't be organized enough to build a nuclear weapon. That would be a better outcome.

seanmcdirmid 12 hours ago | parent [-]

A chaotic broken Iran is going to be a powder keg for the world that keeps erupting unless the US is willing to just glass the entire country. It only looks like a better outcome in the very short term.

IAmGraydon 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This information is just a google search away, so I’ll assume you’re willfully ignorant. No it’s not illegal. It can go on for 60 days before requiring authorization by Congress.

ActorNightly 13 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Why are people surprised when Trump does things illegally?

PeterHolzwarth 11 hours ago | parent | next [-]

In the American body of law and legislation, strikes such as these aren't illegal. Honestly, we've been doing stuff like this for decades.

fastball 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Did it surprise you when Obama did the same?

doofusmcgoo 12 hours ago | parent [-]

Nope. Because he didn't do anything illegal.

Thanks for calling, goodnight.

jasonboyd 11 hours ago | parent [-]

Are you sure? He certainly engaged in a lot of military operations in several countries without Congress's approval. He also ramped up drone strikes dramatically.

kelnos 7 hours ago | parent [-]

Not to justify what Obama did, but that all fell under the post-9/11 "War on Terror" AUMF.

righthand 11 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Because acting unsurprised means giving Trump a pass. It means normalizing awful things and normalizing hate and hurt. No one actually wants the world where he has no moral limits.