HarthorneWingo wrote:Stannis wrote:HarthorneWingo wrote:We can’t go to war against Iran without congressional authorization, right?
The Muslim countries in the region are now pulling together. Their people are outraged and it’s beginning to boil over. They are getting financial and military support from China and Russia. BRICS is getting stronger while Turkey is considering leaving NATO. The cards are being dealt and our hand isn’t looking so good. We’re going to get into another protracted war in the Middle East.
War requires congressional approval, but military action / police action does not. I think there's a rule, more than 60 days needs congress, but a military action can be less than that, or 2 separate actions. There are ways around congressional approval.
Our involvement in the Ukraine for example, was never voted for in congress. It was eventually funded in congress and the US is just sending weapons, maybe some people for training.
When Obama got rid of Gadafi, I don't believe that was voted for in congress, but when Russia went into Syria, Obama did ask congress to vote on that. He could have gone in, and we already have some troops in Syria, but he let congress decide. Congress decided no.
Hillary would probably have been more aggressive on Syria had she won. Trump was basically a doormat for Putin, and I'm not saying Hillary would have been better, I'm just talking decisions, not outcomes.
USA will still win, imho. But it will come at a great cost, even for the US. These ME countries, sadly, are used to losing lives in the hundred thousands and millions. And the west deems all those lives as disposable.
America can't stomach thousands of lives, so I'm not sure what their end game here is. If Afghanistan took 20 years + 2 trillion dollars, I don't think a war with Iran will be any better.
Hell, we won't even be able to stomach 5 bucks a gallon for gas. And that's being generous if we go to war with Iran.
The U.S. will never put troops on the ground in Iran. I don't think that the American people will stomach that. That's a suicide mission. Remember the lessons of Vietnam. The VC lost 1.5 million and we "only" lost about 55,000. Many years after that war, Robert McNamara (Sec. of State) met with the lead general of the VC and they spoke. He told McNamara that the U.S. never understood that they were fighting for their land and would've fought to the last man. So, I think we'll get our ass kicked just like we have in all other wars we've fought over the last couple of decades.
Vietnam was jungle and had Russian support and the US effort was somewhat limited.
Iran is desert. Desert is much easier than Jungle. The US could cut through Iran like butter, but winning the war isn't the hard part. The hard part is what to do afterwards. Wining the peace or managing a conquered nation is a lot harder.
Now, if China decided to get into Iran and offer their support, that would be harder, but just against Iran - the US wins. Even against China, the US wins, but the cost would be much higher.
That said, I don't see any point to the US conquering Iran. Nothing would be gained? The control of the state, long term and managing a US lead government would be problematic to impossible. There's no reason for the US to do that short of Iran trying to nuke the US or one of our close allies.
God invented war so Americans would learn geography.