(03-02-2026 02:19 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  Really, if it hadn't been for communists teaming up with the Islamists back in '79, we wouldn't be here.

The decision to abandon the Shah and roll the dice with the Ayatollah… so stupid. And make no mistake the US absolutely could have prevented that from happening.

(03-02-2026 02:59 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:19 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  Really, if it hadn't been for communists teaming up with the Islamists back in '79, we wouldn't be here.

The decision to abandon the Shah and roll the dice with the Ayatollah… so stupid. And make no mistake the US absolutely could have prevented that from happening.

Yes, we could have prevented it, but the Peanut Farmer ended up being inept. And I think it's a testament of the Crown Prince's patience and aptitude for forgiveness that he lives here. (Or lived here; he may be on his way back to Iran, but I'm not sure.)

(03-02-2026 02:59 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:19 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  Really, if it hadn't been for communists teaming up with the Islamists back in '79, we wouldn't be here.

The decision to abandon the Shah and roll the dice with the Ayatollah… so stupid. And make no mistake the US absolutely could have prevented that from happening.

Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:59 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:19 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  Really, if it hadn't been for communists teaming up with the Islamists back in '79, we wouldn't be here.

The decision to abandon the Shah and roll the dice with the Ayatollah… so stupid. And make no mistake the US absolutely could have prevented that from happening.

Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

The "Peanut Farmer" Jimmy Carter.

Also, I don't know if it's been posted, but I saw this on X and it caught my eye. (Not sure if it's true so don't come at me. Thanks.)

Edit: Nevermind. Ukraine flags are in the pic, not Iranian Sun and Lion flags.

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

Probably George H.W. Bush.

(03-02-2026 03:10 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:59 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:19 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  Really, if it hadn't been for communists teaming up with the Islamists back in '79, we wouldn't be here.

The decision to abandon the Shah and roll the dice with the Ayatollah… so stupid. And make no mistake the US absolutely could have prevented that from happening.

Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

The "Peanut Farmer" Jimmy Carter.

Also, I don't know if it's been posted, but I saw this on X and it caught my eye. (Not sure if it's true so don't come at me. Thanks.)

That's huge, if true.

(03-02-2026 03:18 PM)mlb Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

Probably George H.W. Bush.

In 1978/79, Bush had as much influence over U.S. foreign policy as you or me.

(03-02-2026 03:30 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:18 PM)mlb Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

Probably George H.W. Bush.

In 1978/79, Bush had as much influence over U.S. foreign policy as you or me.

Good point. Stansfield Turner then.

(03-02-2026 03:18 PM)mlb Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

Probably George H.W. Bush.

Huh?

He was unemployed the day Carter swore in.

(03-02-2026 03:32 PM)mlb Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:30 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:18 PM)mlb Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

Probably George H.W. Bush.

In 1978/79, Bush had as much influence over U.S. foreign policy as you or me.

Good point. Stansfield Turner then.

And Walter Mondale and Znigniew Brzeziński.

(03-02-2026 03:37 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:32 PM)mlb Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:30 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:18 PM)mlb Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

Probably George H.W. Bush.

In 1978/79, Bush had as much influence over U.S. foreign policy as you or me.

Good point. Stansfield Turner then.

And Walter Mondale and Znigniew Brzeziński.

I just figure the CIA has more to do with foreign policy than most anyone else in just about every administration (but not likely this one).

Nah. CIA doesn't set policy.

(03-02-2026 12:39 PM)DaSaintFan Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 12:11 PM)bullet Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 12:06 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  I expect the ethnic Kurds in the northwest of Iran and possibly the ethnic Baluchs in the south west along the Pakistan border to start making some organizing noise soon.

I expect the dictator of Azerbaijan to do something. There are 10 million Azeris in his country and 8-10 million in north Iran, mostly in 4 provinces, two named East and West Azerbaijan. That would allow him to connect Nakichevan to the rest of his territory without going through Armenia. And yes, there is a Kurdistan province between the Azeri areas and Iraq.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnicitie...n_2004.jpg

He still has his own problem, as Pakistan started bombing Azerbaijan just two days before this Iran strike happened.

No, that was Afghanistan.

(03-02-2026 03:23 PM)TripleA Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:10 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 03:08 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:59 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:19 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  Really, if it hadn't been for communists teaming up with the Islamists back in '79, we wouldn't be here.

The decision to abandon the Shah and roll the dice with the Ayatollah… so stupid. And make no mistake the US absolutely could have prevented that from happening.

Remind me again who was in charge of U.S. foreign policy back then...?

The "Peanut Farmer" Jimmy Carter.

Also, I don't know if it's been posted, but I saw this on X and it caught my eye. (Not sure if it's true so don't come at me. Thanks.)

That's huge, if true.

I just looked at the pic in the tweet Newt Gingrich reposted. It looks like it has a lot of Ukraine flags, not Iranian Lion and Sun flags. My mistake.

(03-02-2026 03:42 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Nah. CIA doesn't set policy.

Indirectly they do based on the intelligence they gather and how they present them to the President.

(03-02-2026 03:42 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote:  Nah. CIA doesn't set policy.

It screws with policies it doesn't like!

The CIA took its marching orders from the Carter Team. How it goes when you get to appoint the leadership who hires and fires.

Carter campaigned in 1976 on "open foreign policy" focused on cooperation and team work. lol. He was a foreign policy dumpster fire.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth...ot-endless
"...Speaking during the first Pentagon briefing since U.S.-Israeli strikes began over the weekend, Hegseth said Operation Epic Fury has a narrowly defined objective: destroy Iran’s offensive missile capabilities, cripple its navy and prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

"We set the terms of this war from start to finish. Our ambitions are not utopian. They are realistic, scoped to our interests and the defense of our people and our allies," he told reporters...."

(03-02-2026 03:39 PM)mlb Wrote:  I just figure the CIA has more to do with foreign policy than most anyone else in just about every administration (but not likely this one).

They just gather info and pass it along. They don't set policy.

(03-02-2026 02:16 PM)GeminiCoog Wrote:  

(03-02-2026 02:10 PM)TripleA Wrote:  US bases in Jordan and Kuwait were hit today. We obviously haven't killed enough IRGC and Revolutionary Guard folks yet.

FIFY! (The Iranian people aren't our enemies.)

Most are.