And it's hard to know the true number of troops Trump is sending to kill and die in Iraq, or how much it may increase, since he's taken the unprecedented step of refusing to disclose that information.
That's worth exploring. Other things? Probably not worth the drama some are trying to create around them. For example?
Iranian representative in Iraq following the US Secretary of State's visit? Is that shocking to some idiot? Apparently so. Iran shares a border with Iraq. It is in the interest of both countries to have dialogues and relationships. There shouldn't be a panic.
The same is true of the latest on crazy John Bolton. He asked the Pentagon to prepare an attack plan for Iran. Why? Because of attacks believed to have been carried out (two attacks) in 2018 on US diplomatic facilities. Michael Gordon (of THE NEW YORK TIMES) reported repeatedly in the early years of the Iraq War on how the US government felt Iran was behind this or that attack on US troops in Iraq. You can be sure that plans were drawn up then. Drawing up plans does not mean war. Drawing up plans means having a discussion about what the options are. We can all be guess that Bolton was screaming for war because that is what he tends to do.
But that plans were drawn up (and not implemented) should really not be cause for gasping. (A) It's John Bolton who always wants war and, (B) if the US government suspected Iran was behind attacks on US troops, possible responses would have to be explored.
And possible responses go beyond "WAR! WAR!" Possible responses can include: pulling US troops out of Iraq, fortifying US bases in Iraq, strong words exchanged between ministers/secretaries of both countries, diplomatic offers/punishments being floated, etc. There is a huge list of possible responses -- clearly, mine is pull all US troops out of Iraq -- and drawing up a plan for war will always be John Bolton's desired response. He didn't get his way is the big story that everyone appears to have missed in all the clutch-the-pearls drama.
For those who have forgotten -- you of the laughable 'resistance' who blindly worship Hillary Clinton -- she was perfectly happy to say, over and over, that she would bomb Iran if they attacked Israel. Presumably, this would mean that she would bomb Iran if they attacked US facilities in Iraq as well.
The constant shortness of breath and endless bluster is getting really old.
Also, the Iraq snapshot may go up late tomorrow.
