The Pentagon only offered Trump the option of killing Suleimani in order to make other possibilities appear more palatable.— Aman Batheja (@amanbatheja) January 5, 2020
When Trump ultimately went with that, Pentagon officials were stunned.
https://t.co/FJalugJMzU
New York Times: As Tensions With Iran Escalated, Trump Opted for Most Extreme Measure
While senior officials argue the drone strike was warranted to prevent future attacks, some in the administration remain skeptical about the rationale for the attack.
WASHINGTON — In the chaotic days leading to the death of Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, Iran’s most powerful commander, top American military officials put the option of killing him — which they viewed as the most extreme response to recent Iranian-led violence in Iraq — on the menu they presented to President Trump.
They didn’t think he would take it. In the wars waged since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Pentagon officials have often offered improbable options to presidents to make other possibilities appear more palatable.
After initially rejecting the Suleimani option on Dec. 28 and authorizing airstrikes on an Iranian-backed Shia militia group instead, a few days later Mr. Trump watched, fuming, as television reports showed Iranian-backed attacks on the American Embassy in Baghdad, according to Defense Department and administration officials.
By late Thursday, the president had gone for the extreme option. Top Pentagon officials were stunned.
Mr. Trump made the decision, senior officials said on Saturday, despite disputes in the administration about the significance of what some officials said was a new stream of intelligence that warned of threats to American embassies, consulates and military personnel in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. General Suleimani had just completed a tour of his forces in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq, and was planning an “imminent” attack that could claim hundreds of lives, those officials said.
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WNU Editor: Leaks from the US intelligence community to the New York Times continues. The problem I have with these leaks is that they have a history of being wrong. And while I will always post them, everyone must remember who the source of these leaks are coming from.
More News On The New York Times Claiming that President Trump Chose The 'Most Extreme Action' Against Iran
Skepticism mounts over evidence of 'imminent' threat that Trump says justified Soleimani killing -- CNN
Pentagon Officials Reportedly “Stunned” by Trump’s Decision to Kill Soleimani -- Slate
Trump chose ‘the most extreme’ action against Iran — after watching TV during Mar-a-Lago vacation: NYT -- Raw Story
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