tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900303239154048192.post1160332063735271008..comments2024-03-06T06:34:42.881-05:00Comments on EconoSpeak: When Somebody Called "Mad Dog" Is The Only Adult In The RoomUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900303239154048192.post-66468782356563266622017-06-17T00:11:21.325-04:002017-06-17T00:11:21.325-04:00There are reports that some White House staffers a...There are reports that some White House staffers are pushing hard for "action" against Iran (Bush and Trump - dumb and dumber), with Mattis resisting. May be that he's unable to do the sensible thing and pull out of these enclaves as that would cause ructions with the WH, so puts in enough to keep them there while waiting. But while this sort of incoherence is more or less normal for US policy in the region, it carries greater risks given the current crew in charge.Peter Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13289172253358199028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900303239154048192.post-83054439719585712452017-06-16T21:12:15.844-04:002017-06-16T21:12:15.844-04:00Mattis and Tillerson both have reps of being anti-...Mattis and Tillerson both have reps of being anti-Iran hardliners. It is not surprising that they are supporting some anti-Iran military stuff. But they also know that US is working with Iran against ISIS in Iraq and US needs the al Udeid air base in Qatar.rosserjb@jmu.eduhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09300046915843554101noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4900303239154048192.post-59657643960845126232017-06-16T03:24:43.588-04:002017-06-16T03:24:43.588-04:00Maybe. The US has just put extra troops and weapon...Maybe. The US has just put extra troops and weapons into tiny enclaves on the Syria-Iraq border. Not near ISIS, but adjacent to Iraqi militias and Syrian troops, and fired on the latter. I don't know why, but it hardly looks sensible unless one wants to provoke a fight with Syria, Iraqi militias, Russia or possibly Iran. I presume this is with Mattis' approval, since the trump could not find Syria on a map.Peter Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13289172253358199028noreply@blogger.com