It is the assessment of the U.S. government that Iran is responsible for today's attacks in the Gulf of Oman. These attacks are a threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation, and an unacceptable escalation of tension by Iran. pic.twitter.com/cbLrWNU5S0
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) June 13, 2019
Trump is underwater in the polls, under fire for confessing on national TV that he’d welcome reelection assistance from foreign governments, flailing in trade wars that threaten to undermine the economy, and besieged by subpoenas in a widening series of investigations that may blossom into a full-flown impeachment inquiry. Think he wouldn’t like a “splendid little war” to take the focus off this fail parade?
In other news, you won’t have Sarah Sanders to kick around come July. Per The Post:
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders will leave the job at the end of the month, President Trump announced in a tweet Thursday.
“She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas — she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!”
She didn’t do her job at all — they may as well convert the press briefing room back into a swimming pool for all the use they’re getting out of it. Anyhoo, good riddance, Sarah — may all your cheese plates be comped!
PS: Who do you think will replace her? Speaking of cheese, ambulatory cream cheese sculpture Hugh Hewitt has been auditioning for the job for a couple of years…
chopper
It is the assessment of the U.S. government that Iran is responsible for the gum disease known as gingivitis.
Baud
Is this standard language? I would have assumed that a legitimate statement of this sort would say something about U.S. intelligence agencies, not the U.S. government.
NotMax
What, she won’t stick around to pontificate that the July 4 crowds are the largest ever in the history of humankind, larger than the next three crowd counts combined?
Hasta la vista to a modern day incarnation of a hierodule.
Baud
This may be controversial here, but all this validates my view that Pelosi was correct in holding off formal impeachment hearings.
Let Trump marinate in his own sputter for a little while to soften him up.
Johnny Gentle (famous crooner)
Who fucking cares who replaces her. Why does trump even bother filling the position? I’m sure Sanders will end up with some prominent and profitable position on Fox News or a think tank or whatever. The White House reporters will then be humiliated anew by her replacement. Nothing matters and there are no consequences in government anymore.
MattF
I imagine that Hewitt got points from the WH for his recent WaPo opinion column claiming that the Mexican ‘negotiation’ was a massive win for Trump (no link). I’ve been irritated by Hewitt’s liberal-baiting, but it’s quite possible that that he’s been fishing for a job.
Another Scott
HuffPo from November 2017:
Pompeo is looking for a pretext, and doesn’t seem to be averse to manufacturing one if necessary. :-/
In other other news, TheHill:
Not unexpected (there have been continuing rumors), but it is another reason to keep an eye on the Senate for November 2020.
Eyes on the prize.
Cheers,
Scott.
MP
May all your cheese plates be comped threw me for a second. I was about to consult my Little Book of Yiddish Insults before I remembered the Red Hen Incident.
dww44
I am actually afraid that this is what Pompeo is up to. He’s sane only in comparison to whom he works for. Otherwise, I think he sees an opportunity to go to war against those awful Iranians. Lord, protect us.
O/T I got this email today from Senator Perdue: and have already called his office and left a voicemail ( he never has humans manning his phones, unlike Isakson) The nerve of this guy to talk about all the shutdowns and the need to address the 22 trillion dollar deficit, never assigning any blame to himself ( he voted for that tax cut) and never assigning any responsibility for the budget impasses. I’m sure that it can all be laid at Democrats’ feet, right? If there’s any justice in this world, this guy will be gone November 2020.
O. Felix Culpa
Wag the Dog. My first thought when I saw the headlines this morning. Will our media and country fall for it?
ETA: Also too, if our intelligence agencies per Dear Leader are wrong wrong wrong about Russia, why should we believe them about this?
kindness
It doesn’t matter who Trump chooses for Press Secretary if they don’t give press briefings. And all the bullshit Trump and his minions have foisted on the globe means the only people on this globe that believe TrumpCo’s assessment that it was Iran who attacked the tankers is going to be Trump’s base. No one else because Trump lies so spectacularly.
Yes, it is biting Trump in the ass. It’s Trump’s own damn fault. Trump can’t play checkers let alone 11 dimensional chess. I miss Barack. We were a better country then.
randy khan
I think that, for once, Trump was right when he described Sanders as having “extraordinary talents.” I really haven’t seen a sustained performance like hers since the Iraqi information minister, and she’s kept it up much longer.
I certainly wouldn’t wish her on the people of Arkansas, although a part of me thinks it might be an opportunity for the Dems if she ran for governor.
les
Wadda ya mean? Her job was to lie endlessly for the president*; however unconvincing and ludicrous her performance was, she did lie endlessly.
Brachiator
Hewitt would be the perfect toady.
NotMax
Adam has infinitely better resources than I to find out, but wondering how MEK, hunched over their keyboards in Albania, is spinning this.
burnspbesq
My working hypothesis, until proven otherwise, is that Pompeo is lying his ass off.
TenguPhule
She needs to continue to be hounded in private life. No fucking escaping from the consequences by quitting.
Another Scott
@Brachiator: Donnie seems to like people who are mean to the press. Is Hewitt like that? (I’m not getting out of the boat to check.)
If he hires a replacement, whoever it is will be temporary.
Cheers,
Scott.
donnah
Good riddance to bad rubbish, aka Sarah Huckleberry Sanders. She was Trump’s mouthpiece, as obnoxious and deceitful as Trump is, and what’s worse, she was always sneering and insulting. She lied without batting an eyelash and she was always hateful.
I’m sure she’ll do just fine, and since she hasn’t got a conscience or a soul to worry about, the sky’s the limit.
TenguPhule
@O. Felix Culpa:
Of course they will.
The media has learned that Trump sells eyeballs.
TenguPhule
@dww44:
Perdue should pay his dues. With a pound of flesh.
NotMax
Guess Pompeo figured no one would buy it if he laid blame on Venezuela. //
TenguPhule
@Baud:
I’d like there to be a country left fit to live in.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
We have no standards anymore.
Another Scott
Twitter:
Yup.
(via Al Jazeera)
Cheers,
Scott.
Brachiator
@O. Felix Culpa:
I was thinking more, Remember the Maine! Or Gulf of Tonkin.
Will the media fall for it? Happily.
It’s odd. Someone pointed out that the announcement said “assessment of US government. Is this standard verbiage? Is it crediting or excluding intelligence agencies?
NotMax
@Another Scott
Jared will fix it.
//
MattF
@Another Scott: The notion that you can eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities solely with air power is a tell. ‘Evolution’ of the plan to an attack by ground forces will be necessary when air power fails.
NotMax
@Brachiator
Don’t even have to reach that far back.
Yellowcake.
Aluminum tubes.
Bioweapons trailers.
Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
...now I try to be amused
Sanders did do an incredible job, in the original sense of the word.
J R in WV
@NotMax:
Really?
And congrats, you stumped my wife, she had to search engine up a definition of that greek-based word!!
japa21
Mrs Japa and I both agree that it would not beyond this administration to orchestrate the attacks on the tankers. Iran says they are being framed and, quite frankly, I tend to believe them over anything Pompeo may say. As to why he uses the phrase “US Government” rather than intelligence agencies it is simply because he has no indication that the intelligence agencies agree with his statement. He provided no evidence to support the claim and I am not sure he can.
Note: I am not saying Iran didn’t do it, but there are other just as likely suspects.
zhena gogolia
@japa21:
Shades of Moscow apartment bombings by “Chechens.”
Another Scott
One for Cheryl – GovExec:
(emphasis added.)
Good, good. But it’s a scandal that it’s still a problem in 2019. Grr…
Cheers,
Scott.
Brachiator
@Another Scott:
Hewitt used to appear on public affairs tv programs in Southern California. He has made a career of kissing up to his right wing masters. But you raise a good point. He is not as nasty as Sarah. Not as belligerent. I’m not sure he could rise to the occasion.
Trump has mastered the art of naming “acting” officials.
NotMax
@J R in WV
Whole lotta crossword puzzles under the belt, coupled with a plethora of history studies.
;)
germy
Another Scott
TheHill – “Four candidates did not make the [first Democratic presidential debate] stage: Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) and Miramar, Fla. Mayor Wayne Messam.”
The weeding-out finally begins…
Cheers,
Scott.
germy
germy
germy
@Another Scott: Tulsi made it, and also the self-help guru lady (I don’t remember her name)
Jharp
I’d love to see Hugh Hewitt destroy his career by going to work for Trump.
Go for it Hugh.
J R in WV
@burnspbesq:
I agree wholeheartedly. Also, I saw reports that one tanker was damaged above the water line, too. Not a submariner weapons officer, but my understanding was that torpedoes damage ships underwater, below the water line.
Sabotage may be above the waterline… missiles would be above the waterline.
I dunno. Why would Iran attack Japanese tankers while PM Abe is conducting talks in Tehran? Ask yourself that!!!
NotMax
@Another Scott
Baud! is biding his time.
:)
O. Felix Culpa
@Brachiator:
Those fit too. I see no credible motive for Iran to make such an attack, while this maladministration would – in their blinkered worldview – have compelling reasons to orchestrate one.
dr. bloor
@Brachiator:
Yeah, that jumped out at me as well. “Fuck the intelligence agencies–l’etat c’est moi.”
debbie
I believe I heard reporting that Trump was going to be his own press secretary and communications director. This is the best idea he’s had in weeks.
@Baud:
Seconded. His being his own press secretary will hasten that along.
Ryan
@Another Scott: Why isn’t Mancin leading with leadership?
Mike in NC
@Jharp: Hewitt’s last column in the WaPo laughably stated that Trump’s brilliant tariff threat against Mexico left critics “sputtering”. Then the commenters ganged up on his Trump-loving ass and many nicknamed him Huge Nitwit.
debbie
@Another Scott:
If not himself, I hope Trump choses Hannity.
Sab
@O. Felix Culpa: Driving home from the grocery I listened to NPR and they reported Pompeo blaming Iran for the explosions as straightforward news(i.e. Iran did it.) No skepticism at all.
Mike in NC
Warmonger Pompeo’s assessment by the “US Government” meant him and Bolton and Trump, but that last guy was probably enjoying Executive Time with a few Big Macs, and completely unaware.
The DOD ignored Cheney’s sabre rattling against Iran and I hope there are still adults left there to continue to do so.
Noskilz
Hopefully it will go to whoever has been the biggest blight on the landscape. Being Trump’s Press Secretary is an impossible job certain only to be a source of unending aggravation and disgrace for whoever lands the gig, so let’s hope it goes to someone who could really use being turned into a contemptible laughingstock who will be thrown away without a second thought, with future prospects turned to ash.
Ruckus
@Johnny Gentle (famous crooner):
She doesn’t look expensive enough for faux news. She also can’t smile while lying out her teeth, and that for sure is a requirement for faux.
germy
sukabi
@Baud: that stood out to me as well. It seems that past statements of this nature stressed intelligence agencies from US as well as trusted allies.
Bill Arnold
@O. Felix Culpa:
This.
Also many petrostates have a direct financial motive – short boosts in oil prices, and a huge boost if there is a war that doesn’t directly affect their production/distribution. (Perhaps not the Russia government since they have other dealings with Iran. The US while not a petrostate has a lot of government captured by fossil fuel interests.) Israel has a motive (US war with Iran) and reputed skills (whether or not real). Saudi Arabia, UAE have proximity if not the skills. Etc.
And that’s just the state actors. The money involved (many billions of increased revenue if there is a war) surely tempt private actors as well. And private actors could be both producers and others who would profit from unexpected (except by them) price changes. And then there are the low-budget parasitic actors who often gin up war fears via real events that they are not responsible for. Bolton has a personal desire for war (fought by others). Etc.
Which is a long-winded way of saying – be extremely suspicious of claims blaming Iran.
Ruckus
@burnspbesq:
For all the lying his ass off, one possibly might consider that he wouldn’t have any ass left, but of course he’s all ass, so there will be ass to the last drop.
Brachiator
@Jharp:
Hewitt doesn’t have much of a career to destroy.
tokyokie
@Another Scott: Maybe now Bullock will decide to challenge Daines for the Montana Senate seat.
NotMax
@Brachiator
Michele Bachmann? Kris Kobach?
A veritable cornucopia of clowns from which to choose.
Brachiator
The Guardian report on the supposed attacks included this:
The Iranians seemed to be helpful, not belligerent.
scott (the other one)
@Another Scott:
Yeah, by all means, make things better by splitting just when it seems you might be able to actually accomplish some stuff. Tool.
rikyrah
Yeah
.I believe Iran did it.
NOT ??
Bill Arnold
@Brachiator:
From the transcript(html) of Pompeo’s remarks,
That sounds to me like it’s a Bolton/Pompeo/WarWithIranCheerleaders assessment, bostered by some “intelligence” of unspecified nature. Which could be clear, but is probably quite ambiguous given the players involved in the DJT administration.
Kent
@Johnny Gentle (famous crooner):
I want the Mooch back!
Anthony Scaramucci is tanned and rested and ready for duty!
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Ruckus: Also, she isn’t skinny and blond.
@germy: I rolled my eyes at the list of people in that debate and decided not to watch. I understand the DNC’s need to prove it hasn’t picked a candidate, but having Marilyn Williamson on the same state with Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris is a travesty.
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: @Brachiator: Why the fuck not both?
“The Bible says our great orange Emperor lost the popular vote because of 3-5 million illegal votes and rampant homosexuality. No, my husband is not gay.”
Magnus
So what has Erik Prince been doing lately? Ginning up another gulf war on behalf of the Saudis, UAE, and Trump perhaps?
SiubhanDuinne
@J R in WV:
Wonderful, new-to-me word! Thanks, NotMax!
Kent
@Brachiator:
If they aren’t specifying and agency or the DOD then one has to assume “US Government” actually means “White House” in this instance.
What does that mean? I don’t know except that probably the White House just decided to go ahead and blame Iran without actually consulting the various intelligence agencies or NSC. Or they did do so and didn’t like what they heard and went ahead and blamed Iran anyway.
debbie
@rikyrah:
I’m going with Bibi being behind it.
Mandalay
Drier than a dry martini:
Bill Arnold
@NotMax:
Venezuela is a petrostate, and the secretive Venezuelan Navy special forces have a deserved reputation.
//s
SFAW
Any polyglots here? Uncle Cosmo? Can someone translate “Reichstag” into Farsi for me?
Asking for a US SecState (who is most definitely NOT a friend).
suzy
@Brachiator: Possible that Iran tells the truth that they’re being framed. Not necessarily by the US. Could be the Russians who want more chaos in the US and who want to help Trump. Could be the Israelis…
debbie
@suzy:
From The Guardian:
Mandalay
@Another Scott:
Pompeo’s statements are riddled with weasel words:
And more weasel words:
Heh. A “terrorism expert” on CNN said that the attacks could have been carried out by anyone, and didn’t need a high level of expertise at all.
Pompeo is taking a wet shit on what is left of his reputation with this nonsense. He’s got nothing.
japa21
@Mandalay: If they were using his, Bolton’s or Trump’s intelligence as a basis, then we know the whole thing can be thrown out.
joel hanes
@TenguPhule:
No fucking escaping from the consequences by quitting.
I’d be willing to forgive and forget if she’d turn states’ evidence and testify under oath — but alas, the truth is not in her.
japa21
Personally, I would go with Saudi Arabia.
VeniceRiley
@Another Scott: That letter sounds like how you get Trump to fire you.
MomSense
I made the mistake of engaging with sone of the impeach now Pelosi and Dems are do nothings. Man those people are stupid assholes.
Pompeo wants a war. Bolton is insane and wants a war. Trump is a syphilitic narcissist who desperately needs a war to distract from his crimes and corruption.
debbie
@MomSense:
Can you imagine what his Coalition of the Willing will look like?
Jay
Keep in mind that at what has become known as the Power Point Presentations, Eric Prince pitched “false flag” attacks, to the UAE, real and social media fakes, to shape PR and regional Security “Actions” against the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Iran and UAE and regional dissidents.
NotMax
@debbie
The 3 Ns? Normay, Nambia and North Korea.
;)
Brachiator
@suzy:
The Russians are almost sounding like the voice of reason, urging the US to calm down. Not sure what their long term game is.
West of the Rockies
@TenguPhule:
She’s going home to Arkansas. Musta heard Wal-Mart was hiring.
MomSense
@debbie:
It would be like walking in to the bar at Mar a Lago after the worst assholes drove everyone else away with their obnoxious behavior.
Kent
@Brachiator:
They are basically Iranian allies. Long term game? The two big regional powers in the Persian Gulf are Saudi Arabia and Iran. Saudi Arabia is clearly within the US orbit which leaves Iran for the Russians. They already appear to be working together closely in Syria. Who knows what else is going on behind the scenes in terms of Russian-Iranian cooperation an alliances.
Chris Johnson
@Sab:
You gotta watch for that stuff because it can tell you who is owned. Enemy action. I don’t care who it is or how seemingly reputable they are, there’s a lot of enemy action about and there are entities that are Russia-controlled and prepared to do what’s needed on cue. They can backtrack later after the damage is done but they play an important role.
Jesus christ, I’m becoming an old wingnut. Reds under the bed. Except they’re no longer Red, they are capitalists like us and they are centers of incalculable wealth and influence making things go their way. I prefered the Commies, frankly, to these guys. The Commies got Gagarin into space. These guys just weaponize Facebook and key media sources.
Chris Johnson
@Brachiator:
Get the US to become the loose cannon rogue state to the world, and take the role of the peacemaker that is trying to help restrain the mad, imperialist, dangerous USA.
They’ll get us to fire nukes at Iran even if they have to do it FOR us and paint stars and stripes on ’em and perhaps Coca-Cola logos.
Their longterm goal is to get the US to flip out and implode. Remember that they are not primarily about furthering the power of Trump or Republicans: it’s a means to an end, and the end is a disgraced and dangerous USA that is the enemy to the world.
debbie
Trump always seems to be using Norway as an example of whatever nonsense he’s babbling (most recently, if Norway offered him information about a political opponent). How long until they raise objections?
Sab
@Chris Johnson: The NPR reporter was Peter Kenyon, who is currently based in Istanbul. Pompeo was speaking from the State Department in DC.
So he watched it on TV? Their editors couldn’t have found a reporter farther from relevant sources. Who assigned the story to him?
The Lodger
@debbie: I think Anders Brievik is still alive, so he’s got at least one fan in Norway.
Jay
@Brachiator:
@Kent:
Russia works closely with Iran, Iraq, Israel, UAE, Sawdi Arabia, Turkey, the Kurds, playing in some regards, all sides against the middle, conflict by conflict, as both an arms dealer, trainer and mediator.
Via Wagner and others, they are replacing the West in much of North and Central Africa as well.
@Chris Johnson:
Their long term goal has been achieved. Nobody views the US as a reliable ally, some see it as a threat, an enemy, some see it as unstable, some see it as a mark.
Jay
https://www.4freerussia.org/misrule-of-law/
It’s not just the US that is a target.
mrmoshpotato
@West of the Rockies: She and her trash father will relay team posting stupid, racist trash on Twitter.
Jay
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/duncan-hunter-wife-pleads-guilty-1364344
Ruckus
@Brachiator:
That’s easy. They want to be able to do whatever they want, any time they want it and they want it to be because they are the most powerful country and as a side note, Vlad wants everyone to pay him something so that he will be the richest man alive – and all the other rich will bow down to him. He will settle for the US being far far weaker, he can pretty much plunder anyone he wants at that point in time.
Plato
Pompeo or sanders? Who is the better (or worse) liar?
Bill Arnold
@Plato:
Sanders, no contest. Pompeo tries to say things that can be parsed so that they are true, but is rather clumsy about it.
Sanders’ lie-flow is smoother, with more concern for flow than for truth, akin to the style of her boss.
Neither of them are artists, though. This Heinlein quote is closer:
It’s not enough to be able to lie with a straight face; anybody with enough gall to raise on a busted flush can do that. The first way to lie artistically is to tell the truth but not all of it. The second way involves telling the truth, too, but is harder: Tell the exact truth and maybe all of it but tell it so unconvincingly that your listener is sure you are lying. (Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love)
“unconvincingly” is broad. The listener can be manipulated (e.g. through triggerings of their own biases) to believe that you are lying, that you are telling a joke, etc.
Heinlein neglects multiple possible parsings, multiple levels of metaphor, puns, etc.
The US intelligence agencies are not bad at these games in their public statements.
This is what I find most offensive about the D.J. Trump administration (and the Republican party, most of it); their blatant disregard for the truth.
Well, that, and the other offensive things.
BroD
@Baud:
Agree.
hotshoe
Listening to talk radio on my drive home just now, I’m sad but not surprised about the callers who say how glad they are that Dumpster is president. “Because he will be tough with Iran.” “About time America gets tough with the country of terrorists”.
Get tough, how, I want to scream.
God, how dumb and vicious are Dumpster supporters!