# US assassinates commanding general of Iran Quds force **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 3, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821 "2020-01-03T02:01:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/81 "2020-01-03T14:37:42Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The Iranian military is not to be trifled with, even by the US. Oh please. Their troops haven’t fought a war since 1989, their equipment is 30+ years out of date, and they don’t have that much of it (~210 combat aircraft, ~1100 tanks, etc…) They’d get curb-stomped by the US military(who has fought multiple wars recently and has a LOT of up-to-date equipment) and they know it. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/82 "2020-01-03T14:37:54Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > ^ > The less a white dude knows about the region the more confident they are in their “analysis” and the posts. > Never fails. Those damn white people, amiright? Non-white people never have this problem, is that it? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/83 "2020-01-03T14:39:45Z")
Trump’s strategy remains the same as it ever was: 1. Change the subject - Much less talk of impeachment across all media. 2. Best defense is a new offence - Trump supporters newly motivated and armed with new talking points. 3. Make opponent look weak - Democrats on the back foot again, demanding accountability from the Trump administration and being rebuffed. 4. Profit: Mission Accomplished; Consequences be damned. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/84 "2020-01-03T14:40:18Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Would somebody kindly break down for me how panicked I should be on a scale of 1–10? I sort of feel like this is a 4, but that may be just because there’s been rather a lot of inflation during the Trump era and I’m getting inured to the news. I know next to nothing about US-Iran issues, or Persian politics, other than that there has been tension for a while, and I don’t feel I can calibrate this. For those of us living outside Europe, Africa, or southwest Asia, this is not duck-and-cover territory just yet, though there’s a decent chance of cyberattacks. My concern is about the other poles of conflict in the mideast that were already on a knife’s edge. Sunni Iraqis vs. Iran, Saudi vs. Iran, Israel vs. Hezbollah, Israel vs. everybody, and of course the US vs all sorts of actors that were constrained/controlled by Iran. Honestly there are so many ways this could all go to shit that I can’t enumerate all of them. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/85 "2020-01-03T14:43:38Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Trump, believe it or not, might have actually done the right thing here. Whether something is the right thing is completely irrelevant to Trump. His only interest is his image. He wants to do things which he thinks look “tough.” ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/86 "2020-01-03T14:47:14Z")
Not to be glib (ok, maybe I can’t help myself), but most all of Trump’s thoughts mirror those of the loudmouth drunk uncle at the end of the bar. Having been around those types, one of their common ruminations about Iran (or pretty much the whole mid-east) is along the lines of “Nuke em!” (their innocent citizenry be damned). I suspect that Trump is of the same mind. So, we take out their big guy, they blow up a freighter in the gulf, Trump feels that now he can pull out “the suitcase” and press that big red button. The MAGA hat crowd goes wild! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/87 "2020-01-03T14:50:42Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Oh please. Their troops haven’t fought a war since 1989, their equipment is 30+ years out of date, and they don’t have that much of it (~210 combat aircraft, ~1100 tanks, etc…) > > They’d get curb-stomped by the US military(who has fought multiple wars recently and has a LOT of up-to-date equipment) and they know it. I forget, how have all these battle-hardened troops with their shiny new gear performed in those wars lately? I will never understand how people can look at the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions and think it’s going to be Gulf War 1 all over again. What kind of thought process does that involve? Sure, make no mistake, every US war will now feature a Fox News phase with 1-2 months of spectacular destruction which America will surely triumph, and then another decade or so of bleeding treasure and prestige while Iran shreds US forces and interests from the margins, away from the battlefields. And remember Iran already has a regionwide if not global terrorist/nonconventional operations network that Iraq never had. That’s before we get to the careening instability caused by refugees/regional power vacuums/lack of any real stabilizing power. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/88 "2020-01-03T14:52:06Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Those damn white people, amiright? Non-white people never have this problem, is that it? Let’s leave this out of the discussion, please. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/89 "2020-01-03T15:01:23Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > I forget, how have all these battle-hardened troops with their shiny new gear performed in those wars lately? I will never understand how people can look at the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions and think it’s going to be Gulf War 1 all over again. What kind of thought process does that involve? > > Sure, make no mistake, every US war will now feature a Fox News phase with 1-2 months of spectacular destruction which America will surely triumph, and then another decade or so of bleeding treasure and prestige while Iran shreds US forces and interests from the margins, away from the battlefields. And remember Iran already has a regionwide if not global terrorist/nonconventional operations network that Iraq never had. > > That’s before we get to the careening instability caused by refugees/regional power vacuums/lack of any real stabilizing power. And now Russia has a more established presence and vital interest in the area. An interest that is at odds with the US. And China is only too happy to sell weapons to fuel the conflict. What’s that movie line about things getting out of hand and being lucky just to survive it? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/90 "2020-01-03T15:05:39Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Trump’s strategy remains the same as it ever was: > > 1. Change the subject - Much less talk of impeachment across all media. > 2. Best defense is a new offence - Trump supporters newly motivated and armed with new talking points. > 3. Make opponent look weak - Democrats on the back foot again, demanding accountability from the Trump administration and being rebuffed. > 4. Profit: Mission Accomplished; Consequences be damned. True–all this because the only thing Trump cares about is his image. He wants to look “tough” because that’s all his base can understand. None of the geopolitical stuff matters (and he’s too lazy to learn about it anyway). He’s been waiting for an opportunity to do something like this. It’s just more of his show–his performance. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/91 "2020-01-03T15:07:51Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Some people thought the same thing about at least the last two Presidents. If you noticed, it didn’t happen. 1. The people who thought that about Obama are demonstrably paranoid, ill-informed, and unreachable by anything resembling reality. 2. The people who thought that about Bush are… who, again? 3. Unlike other Presidents, Trump frequently jokes about serving more than two terms. 4. Unlike other Presidents, Trump’s survival as a free man depends on him staying in office to forestall the state & federal criminal investigations against him and his cronies. Saying there’s a high likelihood isn’t the same as saying he’ll pull it off, but he has every survival-related reason to do it, and has given overt hints that he’d be interested in trying. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/92 "2020-01-03T15:08:00Z")
I have been fired due to my age and will be out of here on Saint April Fool’s Day. Any bets if things will hold off until then? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/93 "2020-01-03T15:14:54Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Those damn white people, amiright? Non-white people never have this problem, is that it? Oh we do. But since this particular mess has created by YOU guys, you get called out on it. No one is blaming you for the fucking Naxalites. Or Muslim-Sikh riots. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/94 "2020-01-03T15:20:37Z")
All right, that’s enough. I was on the fence enough to talk about your casual swipes in your earlier post, AK84. But doubling down after I said knock it off just a few posts earlier? Warning issued. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/95 "2020-01-03T15:24:18Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > I forget, how have all these battle-hardened troops with their shiny new gear performed in those wars lately? I will never understand how people can look at the Afghanistan and Iraq invasions and think it’s going to be Gulf War 1 all over again. What kind of thought process does that involve? > > Sure, make no mistake, every US war will now feature a Fox News phase with 1-2 months of spectacular destruction which America will surely triumph, and then another decade or so of bleeding treasure and prestige while Iran shreds US forces and interests from the margins, away from the battlefields. And remember Iran already has a regionwide if not global terrorist/nonconventional operations network that Iraq never had. > > That’s before we get to the careening instability caused by refugees/regional power vacuums/lack of any real stabilizing power. First, any Iranian war would be a naval/air war. Why would we invade? There’s absolutely nothing in it for us. It’s not like their navy has become MORE capable since the last time we wrecked it, and we’re very likely to be dominant in the air as well. Plus, their economy is highly dependent on oil, which means that they’re dependent on tankers and oil pipelines, both of which are easy to spot and capture/destroy. Iran is a second rate at best power. Probably more like third rate when you get right down to it. They are not a serious threat. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/96 "2020-01-03T15:26:00Z")
Didn’t see it. Fine. Will not talk on this topic again. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/97 "2020-01-03T15:26:04Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Good analogy. Except the U.S. was at war with Japan at the time, so a military leader was a legit target. We’re not at war with the nation-state of Iran – yet :smack: – and so killing this guy isn’t the same as taking out Admiral Yamamoto then or an AlQaida or ISIS leader now. It’s a pretty clear _casus belli_ if the Iranians want to run with it. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/98 "2020-01-03T15:32:58Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Oh please. Their troops haven’t fought a war since 1989, their equipment is 30+ years out of date, and they don’t have that much of it (~210 combat aircraft, ~1100 tanks, etc…) > > They’d get curb-stomped by the US military(who has fought multiple wars recently and has a LOT of up-to-date equipment) and they know it. When you get down to it, the United States military hasn’t conclusively won a war in 7 decades, and has _never, ever_ won a war without massive allied support which exceeded that… especially in body count… the US’s contribution. Your faith in our military’s ability to win a war is grossly misplaced, it seems to me. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/99 "2020-01-03T15:37:25Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Oh please. Their troops haven’t fought a war since 1989, their equipment is 30+ years out of date, and they don’t have that much of it (~210 combat aircraft, ~1100 tanks, etc…) “Underestimating the other fellow is a rookie mistake.” –Some colonel at War College. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821/100 "2020-01-03T15:39:37Z")
In addition, they are hobbled from serving under a President who has done nothing but smear and attack our intelligence community, our military leaders, as well as our allies, including NATO and the Kurds. Again, the US military is $800 billion of smoke and mirrors which hasn’t conclusively won a conflict with true geopolitical consequences and changes since 1945. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-assassinates-commanding-general-of-iran-quds-force/845821.md?page=6)