{"id":151806,"date":"2020-01-20T12:00:56","date_gmt":"2020-01-20T12:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=151806"},"modified":"2024-09-23T14:39:31","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T13:39:31","slug":"america-an-empire-on-its-last-leg-to-be-kicked-out-from-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2020\/01\/america-an-empire-on-its-last-leg-to-be-kicked-out-from-the-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"America, an Empire on Its Last Leg: To Be Kicked Out from the Middle East?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-usa-flags.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-151807\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-usa-flags.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-usa-flags.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-usa-flags-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>7 Jan 2020<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<ul>\n<li><em>America\u2019s hegemonic military agenda in the Middle East has reached a dangerous threshold.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The assassination of\u00a0<strong>IRGC General Soleimani<\/strong> ordered by the President of the United States on January 3, 2020 is tantamount to an Act of War against Iran.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong><em>President Donald Trump<\/em><\/strong><em>accused Soleimani of \u201cplotting imminent and sinister attacks\u201d: \u201cWe took action last night to stop a war. We did not take action to start a war\u2026.\u00a0we caught him in the act and terminated him.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>US Defense Secretary <strong>Mark T. Esper<\/strong>described it as a \u201cdecisive defensive action\u201d while confirming that the operation ordered by POTUS had been carried out by the Pentagon.\u00a0\u201cThe game has changed\u201d said Esper. \u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>What the media has failed to acknowledge is\u00a0General Soleimani\u2019s central role in countering ISIS-Daesh and Al Qaeda terrorists in both Iraq and Syria.\u00a0<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC) under the helm of General Soleimani consisted in waging\u00a0<strong>a real counter-terrorism campaign<\/strong> against ISIS-Daesh mercenaries, who from the outset were funded, trained and recruited by the US and its allies.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Trump\u2019s action plan to \u201cstop a war\u201d consists in\u00a0\u201cprotecting\u201d America\u2019s ISIS and Al\u00a0Qaeda affiliated foot-soldiers.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>US Extrajudicial Assassinations<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While the assassination of General Soleimani constitutes a criminal act on the part of President Trump, \u00a0the US practice of extrajudicial assassinations of foreign politicians has a long history.<\/p>\n<p>What distinguishes the assassination of General Soleimani from previous extrajudicial killings, is that the president of <strong>the US has formally announced that he gave the order.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This sets a dangerous precedent. It was \u201covert\u201d rather than \u201ccovert\u201d, i.e. a covert operation by the CIA or by a US sponsored Al Qaeda affiliate acting on behalf of Washington.<\/p>\n<p>It is important to note that it was not Trump but in fact Obama who formalized (\u201clegalized\u201d) the practice of extra-judicial assassination (ordered by the president):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>And if the president [Obama] can kill anyone, including US citizens, without judicial review, what power does he not have? Any but the most formal distinction between democracy and presidential dictatorship is swept away. (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/extrajudicial-assassinations-are-legal-american-democracy-and-the-disposition-matrix\/5310258\" >Joseph Kishore, wsws.org, October 31, 2012<\/a>)<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Trump\u2019s\u00a0Response: More Troops to the Middle East<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While the Pentagon announced that it is \u201csending thousands of additional troops to the Middle East\u201d, a unanimous vote in Iraq\u2019s parliament was reached demanding the immediate withdrawal of all US forces.<\/p>\n<p>The legislation requires the Iraqi government to \u201cend any foreign presence on Iraqi soil and prevent the use of Iraqi airspace, soil and water for any reason\u201d.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151808\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq-usa-military-mena-soleimani.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151808\" class=\"wp-image-151808\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq-usa-military-mena-soleimani.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq-usa-military-mena-soleimani.png 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq-usa-military-mena-soleimani-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-151808\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Note: Death to America: refers to the US Government, Not the American People<\/p><\/div>\n<p><strong>Backflash: A Digression. The Obama Air Raids (2014-2017)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Concurrently the Iraqi parliament suspended the corrupt 2014\u00a0agreement with the Obama administration which invited the US to lead <strong>a fake counterterrorism operation directed against the Islamic State (ISIS-Daesh)<\/strong>, made up of mercenaries who are funded, trained and recruited by US-NATO, with the support of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.<\/p>\n<p>The decision of the Iraqi parliament is in this regard fundamental. This operation was used by the Obama administration as a pretext to justify a third phase of the Iraq War (1991, 2003, 2014). Initiated in June 2014 by Obama under the disguise of a counterterrorism operation, a new phase of killing and destruction was launched.<\/p>\n<p>Why was the US Air Force unable to wipe out the Islamic State which at the outset was largely equipped with conventional small arms not to mention state of the art Toyota pickup trucks?<\/p>\n<p>From the very outset, Nobel Peace Laureate Barack Obama\u2019s air campaign was NOT directed at ISIS. \u00a0The evidence confirms that the Islamic State was not the target. Quite the opposite.\u00a0The air raids were intended to destroy the economic infrastructure of Iraq and Syria.<\/p>\n<p>Look at the following image which describes the Islamic State convoy of pickup trucks entering Iraq fromn Syria and crossing a 200 km span of open desert which separates the two countries.<\/p>\n<p>This convoy entered Iraq in June 2014.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ISIS_CIA_Convoy.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-151809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ISIS_CIA_Convoy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"311\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ISIS_CIA_Convoy.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ISIS_CIA_Convoy-300x156.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ISIS_CIA_Convoy-768x399.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>What would have been required from a military standpoint to wipe out an ISIS convoy with no effective anti-aircraft capabilities?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Without an understanding of military issues, common sense prevails.<\/p>\n<p>If they had wanted to eliminate the Islamic State brigades, t<strong>hey could have \u201ccarpet\u201d bombed their convoys of Toyota pickup trucks when they crossed the desert from Syria into Iraq in June 2014.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0\u00a0Syro-Arabian Desert is open territory (see map). With state of the art jet fighter aircraft (F15, F22 Raptor, F16) it would have been \u00a0<strong>\u2013from a military standpoint\u2013 \u00a0\u201ca piece of cake\u201d, a rapid and expedient\u00a0surgical operation,<\/strong> which would have decimated the Islamic State convoys in a matter of hours.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq_climate_map_mena.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-151810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq_climate_map_mena.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"318\" height=\"318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq_climate_map_mena.jpg 318w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq_climate_map_mena-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iraq_climate_map_mena-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 318px) 100vw, 318px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>But if that had happened, they would not have been able to implement their \u201cResponsibility to Protect\u201d (P2R) bombing campaign over a three year period (2014-2017).<\/p>\n<p>Instead what we witnessed were\u00a0drawn out relentless air raids and bombings which culminated with the so-called liberation of Mosul (February 2017) and Raqqa (October 2017) by the US led coalition.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And we were led to believe that the Islamic State had the upper hand and could not be defeated by a powerful US led military coalition of 19 countries.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The people of Iraq and Syria were the targets. Obama\u2019s bombing raids were intent upon destroying the civilian infrastructure of Iraq and Syria.<\/p>\n<p>ISIS-Daesh were never the target of US aggression. Quite the opposite. They were protected by the Western military alliance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>US Troop\u00a0Withdrawal: Yankee Go Home (2020)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While a major US troop withdrawal is unlikely in the foreseeable future, \u00a0\u201cAmerica\u2019s War on Terrorism\u201d is in jeopardy. Nobody believes that America is going after the terrorists.<\/p>\n<p>In Iraq and Syria, everybody knows that all Al Qaeda, ISIS-Daesh affiliated entities are supported by US-NATO.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><em>Read More: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/a-major-conventional-war-against-iran-is-an-impossibility-crisis-within-the-us-command-structure\/5682514\" >A Major Conventional War Against Iran Is an Impossibility. Crisis within the US Command Structure<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The\u00a0\u201cYankee Go Home\u201d process has commenced. \u00a0The US is not only being ousted from Iraq and Syria, its strategic presence in the broader Middle East is also threatened. And these two processes are intimately related.<\/p>\n<p>In turn, several of America\u2019s former allies including Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Egypt have normalized their relations with\u00a0Iran.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Trump\u2019s Punitive Bombings. Will They Be Carried Out?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In recent developments, Trump has\u00a0warned that if Tehran responds to the assassination of General Soleimani, he will \u201ctarget\u00a052 Iranian sites\u201d intimating that\u00a0they would be \u201cHIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/trump-iraq-iran.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-151811\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/trump-iraq-iran.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"501\" height=\"171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/trump-iraq-iran.png 501w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/trump-iraq-iran-300x102.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 501px) 100vw, 501px\" \/><\/a>Donald Trump wants to hit back.\u00a0But he has a serious logistical problem on his hands of which he may not even be aware of.<\/p>\n<p>Normally a punitive operation of this nature directed against Iran would be entrusted to USCENTCOM\u2019s forward headquarters in the Middle East located at the Al Udeid Air Force base in Qatar.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cCENTCOM controls\u00a0US forces based across the Middle East and some of Central Asia \u2013 in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq.\u00a0It\u2019s main headquarters are located in Tampa Florida <strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alaraby.co.uk\/english\/news\/2019\/10\/1\/centcom-there-is-no-plan-to-move-qatar-base\" >but it runs its daily combat operations from Al-Udeid air base\u00a0<\/a>\u201c<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>With 11,000 US military personnel, the al-Udeid Air Force base close to Doha is \u201c<strong>one of the U.S. military\u2019s most enduring and most strategically positioned operations on the planet\u201d \u00a0<\/strong> (<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/m.washingtontimes.com\/news\/2017\/oct\/5\/al-udeid-air-base-in-qatar-puts-us-in-persian-gulf\/\" >Washington Times<\/a>).\u00a0It has led and coordinated several major Middle East war theaters including Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2003). It was also involved in Syria.<\/p>\n<p>But there is a problem:\u00a0The forward base of USCENTCOM at the <strong>al-Udeid Air Force base<\/strong>\u00a0is in Qatar. And since June 2017 <strong>Qatar has been \u201csleeping with the enemy\u201d. Qatar has become a staunch ally of Iran.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What both the media, as well as foreign policy and military analysts fail to acknowledge is that\u00a0<strong>US CENTCOM\u2019s Forward Base headquarters at the al-Udeid military base de facto \u201clies in enemy territory\u201d. <\/strong>And it would seem that POTUS is totally unaware of this situation.<\/p>\n<p>Barely a few months ago, (October 2019), <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alaraby.co.uk\/english\/news\/2019\/10\/1\/centcom-there-is-no-plan-to-move-qatar-base\" >The Pentagon took the decision NOT to move USCENTCOM\u2019s forward base at Al Udeid <\/a>to another location in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cQatar has always been an exceptional partner, and this base from which we are operating is a great base, and CENTCOM has no intention of moving anywhere,\u201d said CENTCOM\u2019s deputy commander, Chance Saltzman.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Sloppy intelligence, flawed military planning?\u00a0<strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/a-major-conventional-war-against-iran-is-an-impossibility-crisis-within-the-us-command-structure\/5682514\" >Qatar is not an \u201cexceptional partner\u201d. <\/a><\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/a-major-conventional-war-against-iran-is-an-impossibility-crisis-within-the-us-command-structure\/5682514\" >Since June 2017 Qatar has become a de facto ally of Iran<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>More recently, they have been discussing the establishment of Iran-Qatar bilateral military ties.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-qatar-mena.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-151812\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-qatar-mena.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"557\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-qatar-mena.png 543w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/iran-qatar-mena-269x300.png 269w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Having decided that <strong>Al Udeid<\/strong> (located in enemy territory) could not be moved to another location in the Middle East, the Pentagon then envisaged a scenario of moving\u00a0Al Udeid air and space operations to South Carolina: \u201cto 7,000 miles away in South Carolina\u201d. It was a simulation. <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alaraby.co.uk\/english\/news\/2019\/10\/1\/centcom-there-is-no-plan-to-move-qatar-base\" >\u201cThe temporary switch\u201d<\/a> lasted only 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p>Lessons Learnt: You cannot effectively \u201cwage war\u201d in the Middle East without a \u201cForward Base\u201d in the Middle East. This \u201cSouth Carolina Test\u201d borders on ridicule.<\/p>\n<p>Are US military planners desperate?<\/p>\n<p>Since May 2017, following the break up of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) the Pentagon has NOT BEEN ABLE TO MOVE USCENTCOM FORWARD BASE (including its air force striking capabilities) OUT OF ENEMY TERRITORY (QATAR) to a \u201cfriendly location\u201d (e.g. Saudi Arabia, Israel) in the broader Middle East region.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/usa-pentagon-qatar-mena.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-151813\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/usa-pentagon-qatar-mena.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/usa-pentagon-qatar-mena.png 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/usa-pentagon-qatar-mena-300x168.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Military analysts now admit that in the case of a conflict with Iran,<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alaraby.co.uk\/english\/news\/2019\/10\/1\/centcom-there-is-no-plan-to-move-qatar-base\" > Al-Udeid would be an immediate target.<\/a> \u201cThe base\u2019s defence system is said to be ill-equipped to defend itself against the low-flying cruise missiles and drones\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Mr. President: How on earth can you launch your punitive bombings on Iran from the territory of a close ally of Iran?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>From a strategic point of view it does not make sense. And this is but the tip of the iceberg.<\/p>\n<p>While the bombing and missile attacks can be dispatched from other US military bases in the Middle East (see diagram below) as well as from Diego Garcia, US aircraft carriers, submarines, etc, the regional USCENTCOM Forward Base at Al-Udeid, Qatar, plays a key role in the command structure in liaison with USCENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida, and US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) at the Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_151814\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/US-bases-middle-east-pentagon-usa-military.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-151814\" class=\"wp-image-151814\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/US-bases-middle-east-pentagon-usa-military.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/US-bases-middle-east-pentagon-usa-military.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/US-bases-middle-east-pentagon-usa-military-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/US-bases-middle-east-pentagon-usa-military-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-151814\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Statista<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While Qatar and the US have a longstanding bilateral cooperation agreement pertaining to the al-Udeid Air Force base, Qatar has military cooperation agreements not only with Iran but also with Hamas and Hezbollah, all of which are \u201cenemies\u201d of the USA:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>The challenge for Washington is that while Qatar hosts al-Udeid, <strong>it\u2019s also friendly with the Gaza-based Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), it is close to the Hezbollah\u2019s leadership<\/strong> \u2026 [<strong>Qatar also] has cozy relations with Iran<\/strong>. Indeed, if Qatar didn\u2019t host America\u2019s largest air base in the Middle East, it would be under pressure from the U.S. to cease much of this behavior.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And to top it off, <strong>Qatar is also friends with Russia<\/strong>. A military technical cooperation agreement pertaining \u00a0to air defense was signed with Moscow, immediately following Qatar\u2019s rift with Saudi Arabia in June 2017.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Turkey\u2019s Incirlik Air Force Base\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cA sleeping with the enemy situation\u201d also prevails with regard to Turkey\u2019s <strong>Incirlik Air Force<\/strong> base which was established in the 1950s by the US Air Force.\u00a0Incirlik has played a strategic role in all US-NATO led operations in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>With about five thousand airmen, the US Air Force\u00a0<strong>is now hosted in a country (aka Turkey) which is an ally of both Russia and Iran.\u00a0<\/strong>Turkey and Iran are neighbouring states with friendly relations. In contrast, US and Turkish supported rebels are fighting one another in Northern Syria.<\/p>\n<p>In mid-December 2019, Turkey\u2019s foreign minister <strong>Mevl\u00fct \u00c7avu\u015fo\u011flu<\/strong>\u00a0 dropped a bombshell, intimating \u00a0\u201ct<strong>hat the United States could be barred from using two strategic air bases [Incirlik and Kurecik]<\/strong> in retaliation to possible US sanctions against his country\u201d regarding Turkey\u2019s purchase of the Russian S-400 missile defence system.<\/p>\n<p><strong>America\u2019s Conventional Warfare Capabilities<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For several reasons, US hegemony in the Middle East has been weakened in part as a result of the evolving structure of military alliances.<\/p>\n<p>America\u2019s command capabilities have been weakened. Two of the region\u2019s largest strategic Air Forces bases, namely Incirlik (Turkey) and Al-Udeid (Qatar) are no longer under the control of the Pentagon.<\/p>\n<p>While war against Iran remains on the drawing board of the Pentagon,\u00a0under present\u00a0conditions,\u00a0an all out Blitzkrieg (conventional theater war) involving the simultaneous deployment of ground, air and naval \u00a0forces is an impossibility.<\/p>\n<p>While the US does not have the ability to carry out such a project,\u00a0various forms of \u201climited warfare\u201d have been contemplated including\u00a0targeted missile attacks, so-called \u201cbloody nose operations\u201d (including the use of tactical nuclear weapons), as well as acts of political destabilization and color revolutions (which are already ongoing) as well as economic sanctions, manipulations of financial markets and neoliberal macroeconomic reforms (imposed via the IMF and the World Bank(.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The Nuclear Option against Iran<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And it is precisely because of US weaknesses in the realm of conventional warfare that a nuclear option could be envisaged. \u00a0Such an option would inevitably lead to escalation.<\/p>\n<p>Ignorance and\u00a0stupidity are factors in the\u00a0decision making process.\u00a0According to foreign policy analyst Edward Curtin<strong> \u201cCrazy people do crazy things\u201d.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Who are the crazy people in key decision-making positions?<\/p>\n<p>Trump foreign policy advisers:\u00a0Secretary of State <strong>Mike Pompeo<\/strong>,\u00a0national security adviser\u00a0<strong>Robert O\u2019Brien<\/strong> and\u00a0<strong>Brian Hook<\/strong>, (Special Representative for Iran and Advisor to Pompeo),\u00a0could \u201cadvise\u201d President Trump to authorize \u00a0a <strong>\u201cbloody nose operation\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0against Iran using tactical (B61 bunker buster) nuclear weapons, which the Pentagon has categorized as \u201charmless to civilians because the explosion is underground\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The bloody nose operation\u201d as designated by the Pentagon, conveys the idea of a military op (using a low yield \u201cmore usable\u201d tactical nuclear weapon) which allegedly \u201ccreates minimum damage\u201d. It\u2019s a lie: the tactical nuclear weapon has an explosive capacity between one third and 12 times a Hiroshima bomb.<\/p>\n<p>According to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thebulletin.org\/2019\/07\/a-nuclear-war-in-the-persian-gulf\/\" >the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (July 2019)<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>Tensions between the United States and Iran are spiraling toward a military confrontation that carries a real possibility that the United States will use nuclear weapons. Iran\u2019s assortment of asymmetrical capabilities\u2014all constructed to be effective against the United States\u2014nearly assures such a confrontation. The current <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/media.defense.gov\/2018\/Feb\/02\/2001872886\/-1\/-1\/1\/2018-NUCLEAR-POSTURE-REVIEW-FINAL-REPORT.PDF\" >US nuclear posture<\/a> <strong>leaves the Trump administration at least open to the use of tactical nuclear weapons in conventional theaters.<\/strong> Some in the current administration may well think it to be in the best interest of the United States to seek a quick and decisive victory in the oil hub of the Persian Gulf\u2014and to do so by using its nuclear arsenal.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>We believe there is a heightened possibility of a US-Iran war triggering a US nuclear strike\u2026<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Of significance, the use of tactical nukes does not require the authorization of the Commander in Chief. That authorization pertains solely to so-called strategic\u00a0nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the warnings of\u00a0<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thebulletin.org\/2019\/07\/a-nuclear-war-in-the-persian-gulf\/\" >the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists<\/a>, present circumstances do not favor the conduct of a \u00a0US \u201cbloody nose\u201d tactical nuclear weapons\u2019 operation.<\/p>\n<p>The US Air Force\u2019s tactical nuclear weapons arsenal is stored and deployed in five non-nuclear European countries including Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Turkey at military bases <strong>under national command. \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Europe-nuclear-weapon-usa.png\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-151815\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Europe-nuclear-weapon-usa.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"237\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Europe-nuclear-weapon-usa.png 768w, https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/Europe-nuclear-weapon-usa-300x102.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>According to <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/00963402.2019.1654273\" >Hans Kristensen and Matt Korda (Bulletin of Atomic Scientists<\/a>, 2019 report), the US possesses an estimated 230 tactical nuclear weapons of which 180 are deployed in the five non-nuclear European countries. Some 50 B61 bunker buster bombs with nuclear warheads (gravity bombs) are stored and deployed at the Incirlik air force base which is under Turkey\u2019s jurisdiction. (see table above)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Conclusion<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A US president committed to war crimes.<\/li>\n<li>A failing \u00a0\u201cWar on Terrorism\u201d narrative,<\/li>\n<li>Weakened military command structures,<\/li>\n<li>Failing alliances,<\/li>\n<li>Sleeping with the enemy,<\/li>\n<li>Unpredictable foreign policy analysts,<\/li>\n<li>Deception and mistakes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At this juncture: The US\u2019 most powerful weapon remains dollarization, neoliberal economic reforms and the ability to manipulate financial markets.<\/p>\n<p><em>_______________________________________________<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Read More by Prof. Johan Galtung:<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2018\/03\/decline-and-fall-of-the-us-empire-introduction-to-the-american-edition\/\" >\u201cDecline and Fall\u201d of the US Empire \u2013 Introduction to the American Edition<\/a><br \/>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2016\/05\/fall-of-empire-end-to-us-wars-johan-galtung-predictions-taking-place\/\" >Fall of Empire, End to US Wars: Johan Galtung Predictions Taking Place<\/a><br \/>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2016\/04\/on-the-coming-decline-and-fall-of-the-us-empire\/\" >On the Coming Decline and Fall of the US Empire<\/a><br \/>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2014\/09\/the-fall-of-the-us-empire-and-then-what\/\" >The Fall of the US Empire-And Then What?<\/a><br \/>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2013\/11\/nsa-and-the-fall-of-the-us-empire\/\" >NSA and the Fall of the US Empire<\/a><br \/>\n\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2019\/11\/what-happened-or-what-is-happening-to-the-us-empire\/\" >What Happened (or What Is Happening) to the US Empire?<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Michel-Chossudovsky.jpg\" ><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-143077\" src=\"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Michel-Chossudovsky.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a>Michel Chossudovsky is an award-winning author, Professor of Economics (emeritus) at the University of Ottawa, Founder and Director of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG), Montreal, Editor of Global Research.\u00a0 He has taught as visiting professor in Western Europe, Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Latin America. He has served as economic adviser to governments of developing countries and has acted as a consultant for several international organizations. He is the author of eleven books including\u00a0<\/em>The Globalization of Poverty and The New World Order\u00a0(<em>2003<\/em>),\u00a0America\u2019s \u201cWar on Terrorism\u201d\u00a0(<em>2005<\/em>),\u00a0The Global Economic Crisis, The Great Depression of the Twenty-first Century\u00a0(<em>2009<\/em>) (<em>Editor<\/em>),\u00a0Towards a World War III Scenario: The Dangers of Nuclear War\u00a0(<em>2011<\/em>), The Globalization of War, America&#8217;s Long War against Humanity (<em>2015<\/em>). <em>He is a contributor to the<\/em> Encyclopaedia Britannica.\u00a0 <em>His writings have been published in more than twenty languages.\u00a0In 2014, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit of the Republic of Serbia for his writings on NATO&#8217;s war of aggression against Yugoslavia. He can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:crgeditor@yahoo.com\">crgeditor@yahoo.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Copyright \u00a9 <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/author\/michel-chossudovsky\" >Prof Michel Chossudovsky<\/a>, Global Research, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/america-an-empire-on-its-last-leg-to-be-kicked-out-from-the-middle-east\/5699693\" >Go to Original \u2013 globalresearch.ca<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>7 Jan 2020<br \/>\n\u2022\tA US president committed to war crimes,<br \/>\n\u2022\tA failing  \u201cWar on Terrorism\u201d narrative,<br \/>\n\u2022\tWeakened military command structures,<br \/>\n\u2022\tFailing alliances,<br \/>\n\u2022\tSleeping with the enemy,<br \/>\n\u2022\tUnpredictable foreign policy analysts,<br \/>\n\u2022\tDeception and mistakes.<br \/>\nAt this juncture: The US\u2019 most powerful weapon remains dollarization, neoliberal economic reforms and the ability to manipulate financial markets.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":151807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[120,267,1126,260,1050,504,742,88,767,109,287,249,95,70,126,118,172],"class_list":["post-151806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anglo-america","tag-conflict","tag-geopolitics","tag-hegemony","tag-history","tag-imperialism","tag-international-relations","tag-iran","tag-israel","tag-middle-east","tag-politics","tag-power","tag-trump","tag-us-military","tag-usa","tag-violence","tag-war","tag-west"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=151806"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":275063,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/151806\/revisions\/275063"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/151807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=151806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=151806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=151806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}