But it was not clear that the talks, to be held next week in NW London, would satisfy #Trump’s demand that other nations take a more active part in the #IranWar. Prime Minister Keir #Starmer of #Britain said Wednesday that plans to secure the strait would be implemented “after the fighting has stopped.” Starmer has insisted that Britain will not get dragged into the #war.

#accountability #idiocracy #IranWar #US #Iran #Israel #war ##law #geopolitics #MiddleEast #economy #oil #EnergyCrisis

In this case, though, following the #Constitution would have brought an even more basic benefit: Before it made its argument to the #Congress & the people, the admin would have had to figure out its objectives & how it planned to attain them.

The White House would have had to think through the operation more than it gives any evidence of having done — or, judging from Trump’s speech, than it is doing still.

#Trump #idiocracy #kakistocracy #IranWar #US #Iran #law #WarPowers #geopolitics

Presidents have usually sought congressional approval for large-scale military operations, as George H.W. Bush did before the Persian Gulf War & George W. Bush did before the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq. Going to #Congress has a practical advantage that is often mentioned: It reduces the chance that the country will go to #war without much support from the public.

#idiocracy #kakistocracy #TrumpsWar #IranWar #US #Iran #Trump #WarCrimes #law #geopolitics #NationalSecurity #MiddleEast #economy

…This war’s lack of strategic clarity & consistent rhetoric owes a lot to Trump’s well-known character flaws, such as his impulsivity & dishonesty. It’s also a price of his failure to abide by the #Constitution. Even the most ardent advocate of presidential power during the Founding, Alexander Hamilton, said it was up to #Congress to “transfer the nation from a state of peace to a state of war.”…

#idiocracy #kakistocracy #TrumpsWar #IranWar #US #Iran #war #Trump #WarCrimes #law #WarPowers

The admin’s most frequently stated objective, & the one #Trump emphasized in the speech, was degrading Iran’s #military capabilities. The White House offers no criteria for assessing when that objective has been sufficiently met. Trump could have used his speech to announce that he is ending Operation Epic Fury: He said, after all, that #Iran is “no longer a threat.” He could announce it tomorrow; he could have announced it on several yesterdays.

#idiocracy #kakistocracy #IranWar #US #law

Consider this abbreviated timeline: On March 1, #Trump gave a short interview in which he seemed to change his mind about whether he wanted #RegimeChange in #Iran. On March 6, he demanded unconditional surrender in all caps. On March 13, he said Iran had been “totally defeated.” On March 21, he said the operation had achieved his objectives “ahead of schedule”—although there has obviously been no surrender, with or without conditions.

#idiocracy #kakistocracy #TrumpsWar #law #MiddleEast