Editor,
America is a country at war, but our president has failed to address the American people to explain the mission or its cost in blood and treasure. If the mission is to open the Strait of Hormuz, Trump must explain why, after obtaining a military budget of $1 trillion, he needs an additional $200 billion to correct a situation that he himself caused with his war of choice against Iran –- a war that every other American president (listening to their own military advisors) refused to do.
Trump has relied on foreign leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, to tread where previous, wiser US presidents refused to go. Even worse, after fighting a series of Middle East regime-change wars since 9/11, the US’s Israeli war partner is the rogue, apartheid, theocracy waging genocide against Palestine’s Gaza and the West Bank regions and now has mercilessly attacked its neighbor Lebanon in an attempt to annex its southern region. Why should Americans pay hundreds of billions for such great injustices only to have their gas prices raised at the pumps to protect Israel’s aggressions?
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claims “Iran regime change accomplished!” while Trump claims negotiations with Iranians who are not recognized by Islamic Republic leaders actually controlling Iran. The only apparent “regime change” is Israel’s incessant assassination of Iran’s old guard leaders who are being replaced by more militant leaders. Israel killed Iran’s National Security Council head, Ali Larijani, who was trying to find a face-saving way for Trump to exit this conflict which Israel purposely thwarts.
Continuing the war exponentially escalates complications, creating Trump’s lasting legacy: Iranians will extract a hefty toll (around $1 million) for each oil cargo ship crossing Hormuz as reimbursement for Iran’s infrastructure destruction—a “forever Trump tax” for a new “forever war.” Trump and Hegseth fight with World War II – style battleships, armies and strategies while Iran responds with asymmetric, 21st century economic tactics and a blizzard of missiles which penetrate Israel’s missile shield. Trump’s war has created a magnet for destroying Gulf State allies’ oil infrastructure and upsetting the most sensitive religious and energy-producing part of the world that efficiently provided the world with his beloved fossil fuels.
Although Trump has managed to withhold money from universities to stop criticism of Israel by calling it “antisemitism,” free speech was alive and well in Saturday’s 3,000 “No Kings” rallies here and abroad widely condemning Trump. In Roanoke, one protester dressed as Trump held a sign saying: “I really meant Israel First!, Suckers!” alongside a sign saying “President Trump: Your War Crimes Won’t Hide Your Sex Crimes!”
Trump’s incoherent policy claims successful completion of the war while escalating with 50,000 elite troops and declaring repeatedly-postponed ultimatums and attacks on Iranian civilians and infrastructure that amount to war crimes. Trump’s war– – an act of aggression – – was the first charge against Nazi leaders in the Nuremberg trials. Hegseth, going low as usual, prayed for overwhelming violence against the enemy. Pope Leo responded on Palm Sunday: “God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have ‘hands full of blood.’”
Although Trump’s war of choice may be his risky “Hail Mary” for the midterms, he is undoing his own platforms in increasingly unforeseen checks by Iran.
–Cynthia Munley
Salem
