George Rebane
We have definitely become bogged down in our prosecution of the Iran war. As we enter the war’s third week, it is clear that no material progress has been made toward ending the conflict for at least the last seven days. Iran has successfully hunkered down and continues to launch missiles and drones at any and all regional targets of its choosing. All we are now told is that we continue to hit military and oil producing targets with great effect that, unfortunately, is neither measurable nor indicative of progress toward the conclusion of hostilities.
Media reporting on the war divides into two distinct camps. The leftwing media are giddy in their reports of an ‘illegal war with no objectives nor plans for ending it’. Surprisingly, they are making political hay in their lack of support for the military or its war effort. News from the field allows them to present the whole affair as the strongest support yet for Trump hatred (aka TDS). Heady stuff with the approaching primaries.
The rightwing media continue putting the best face on the lack of progress by having their anchors interview an endless stream of Republican congress critters and ‘experts’, most of whom are unknown to the viewers. And all of whom have nothing new to add to their repetition of the talking points that justify attacking Iran. Anyone who pays attention can tell that such reports have become self-defeating – most certainly they are not good politicking.
At this point the whole thing has come to a focus on the Strait of Hormuz, the passage through which appears to be completely under Iran’s control. We are not prepared to risk any of our naval assets to open up the strait, claiming that it would become a “kill zone” for our navy. Curiously though, we have no problem asking our allies to send their ships to help secure the strait before announcing any plans or timetable to commit our own forces. Our allies’ reluctance to send their ships is therefore totally understandable.
So what could we posit as reasonable indicators that Iran has been defeated. Regime change resulting from Iranians massing in the streets would be a robust sign of which there is no hint of coming to pass. The cessation of Iranian counter attacks on Israel, former gulf allies, and American bases would be another positive development. The self-exiling of the remnant regime to foreign shores would indicate the beginning of the end. And finally, the acceptance by the IRGC and related armed militia groups of a new pro-western government would definitely signal a successful end to the Iranian theocracy and its support of global Islamic terrorism.
However, continuing to witness the steady stream of the Democrats’ anti-American and anti-administration propaganda, along with hopeful Republican reports repeatedly vindicating the purpose and progress of the military enterprise, leaves one to conclude that we are at the precipice of another geo-political quagmire. The time is fast approaching to either defecate or relinquish the receptacle.
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