Lauren Fruen – Daily Mail June 22, 2019
-> Officials were said to be expecting a strike as late as 7pm on Thursday
-> But following a Situation Room briefing and amid increasing fears of open conflict Mitch McConnell said ‘measured responses’ would be coming
-> Those in favor of a military response reportedly included Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser John R. Bolton and CIA director Gina Haspel
-> Pentagon officials are said to have warned against escalation
-> Newly released Pentagon video shows a smoke trail from the downed aircraft
-> The high-altitude, high-endurance Naval drone was brought down Wednesday
-> It was denounced as an ‘unprovoked attack’ in international air space by the US
-> But Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Thursday that parts of the drone had been recovered in Iranian territorial waters
Donald Trump has asked for talks with Iran’s Ayatollah after pulling back on strikes at the last minute as warships and jets were poised following an attack on a US drone, according to reports.
A section of the destroyed warplane released by Iran, amid fears over what Tehran and its allies might glean from its inner workings. Click to enlarge
Tehran showed off debris of the downed spy plane’s fuselage as reports emerged the president had pulled out of attacking Iran on Thursday evening.
Military and diplomatic officials were said to be expecting a strike as late as 7pm, with planned attacks on radar and missile batteries approved, The New York Times reports.
The paper says multiple senior administration sources confirmed the plans
Iranian officials stated today Trump had given them a short window to convey an imperative wish for talks to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A source told Reuters: ‘In his message, Trump said he was against any war with Iran and wanted to talk to Tehran … He gave a short period of time to get our response but Iran’s immediate response was that it is up to [the] Supreme Leader.’
Iran released images of the wrecked drone, stripped of its internal technologies, amid fears over what Tehran and its allies might glean from its workings.
A White House insider told the New York Times planes were in the air and ships were in position when the mission was called off – against the advice Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, national security adviser John R. Bolton and CIA director Gina Haspel.
Former Bolton aide Fred Fleitz commended the president for ‘responding with restraint,’ as Trump met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at the White House last night.
Fleitz told Fox: ‘There’s people saying right now [that] the president is responsible if Iran responds with violence because we withdrew from that deal. That is a fraudulent argument … He has given [Iran] an opportunity to deescalate the situation, and I think he handled it right today.’
Iran had earlier released GPS coordinates suggesting the drone was eight miles off its coast. That put the missile within the 12 nautical miles from the shore Iran claims as its territorial waters.
Officials there later said they had ‘indisputable’ evidence the drone violated its airspace.
But the US said it was shot down 21 miles off the Iranian coast, in the Strait of Hormuz.
The president held a Situation Room briefing Thursday evening where his administration are said to have promised a ‘measured’ response to Iran after Washington accused Tehran of shooting down a drone and attacking oil tankers.
Pentagon video released earlier in the day showed a smoke trail from the $180million surveillance aircraft following a missile strike initially slammed by Trump as a ‘big mistake’.
But amid the increasing fears of open conflict, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed to Fox News a ‘measured responses’ would be coming.
Grainy black and white footage shows the drone plummet to the ground. Click to enlarge
Those in the Situation Room meeting included CIA Director Haspel, Pompeo and Army Secretary Mark Esper.
Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan was pictured arriving for a meeting with Trump about Iran holding a folder marked ‘SECRET/NOFORN’.
In a statement, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and Ranking Members Rep. Michael McCaul, Rep. Devin Nunes and Rep. Mac Thornberry said: ‘There must be a measured response to these actions. President Trump and his national security team remain clear-eyed on the situation and what must be done in response to increased Iranian aggression.
Debris from downed surveillance plane. Click to enlarge
Many in the fake news media are scoffing at Trump for saying no one was onboard the drone. Here in the UK, many SAS missions start off in the belly of a British Airways passenger plane. The SAS soldier{s} then drop out and wing-suit themselves into the target territory to commit whatever war crimes they have been tasked. It is perfectly reasonable to assume that US special forces might do the same from a big US naval drone such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk. The US seems to have been pretty confident Iran could not hit this plane. It would be interesting to know its altitude when hit.
Lauren Wruen of the Daily Grail said:
“Officials were said to be expecting a strike…”
“‘measured responses’ would be coming”
Here’s my measured response coming at you, Lauren Wruen from the Grainy Mail:
An Out House insider told the Zew York Slimes bullshit was in the air and bomb shit was in position when the mission crapped out – against the advice of Secretarmy of Snake Mike Pompedo, National Senility adviser John R. Boltoff and CIA director Hyena Aspel.
Former Boltoff aide, Fred Fleiz commended the president for ‘responding with restraint,’ as Tramp met with House Sneaker Narcy Pelousi, Sedate Bottom feeder Schmuck Schumer and Sedate Inferiority Leader Snitch McCon-ill at the White Sepulcher House last night.
Those in the Shituation Room meeting included CIA Director Aspel, Pompedo and Army Secretarmy Dark Ester.
“Pentagoon video released earlier in the day showed a smoke trail from the $180 million surveillance aircrap following a missile strike initially slammed by Grump as a ‘big mistake’.”
Yes Trumpenstein, you and the other stooges in your Mickey Mouse junta made a big mistake by sending that drone into Iranian territory. Keep making mistakes, President Bullshit. The Kabuki is on you.
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The pentagoons from Pentagoonia should have allocated some of that drone money for some decent video cameras, like ordinary cell phone cameras maybe?
so the iranians have the capability of shooting down usa drone flying at 60k feet. that must have come as a huge shock to the trumps advisors. debris fell on iran soil so it must have encroached on Iranian territory. the fact iran held off shooting down the spy plane shows the humanitarian side of iran. the warning is clear to the usa – any war with iran will not be a turkey shoot for the usa. one has to remember the usa base in Bahrain will be obliterated