Why do so many Americans oppose the war against Iran?
The biggest reason is that they do not believe Iran was close to obtaining a nuclear weapon. If Iran was nowhere near a bomb, President Donald Trump’s decision to use military force looks unnecessary, even reckless. But if Iran was close, as Trump claims, the debate changes dramatically.
That is why NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s recent assessment should have been a major news story.
During his June 24 Oval Office meeting with Trump, Rutte said: “This is, first of all, about the nuclear capability Iran was basically getting its hands on — and that would have been a threat to the region. It would’ve been a threat to the whole world.” The next day, Rutte was even more direct. “We know they were close,” he said, while commending the United States “for making sure that the world stays safe from Iran with a nuclear capability.”
Rutte’s statement does not, of course, establish as a matter of fact that Iran was close to obtaining a nuclear weapon, let alone how close. But it is unquestionably newsworthy that the secretary general of NATO assessed Iran’s nuclear progress substantially the same way Trump did.
Rutte’s statement did not merely express the view that Iran should never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. Nearly everyone says that. He offered an assessment of how close Iran was to acquiring nuclear capability — and that assessment closely tracked Trump’s own.
Rutte is not a member of the Trump administration. His agreement therefore carried independent weight, even if critics believed his praise was tactical. The media need not endorse his judgment. They merely had to report it prominently and scrutinize it as they would any other significant claim. But they did not.
The Associated Press focused heavily on Rutte’s efforts to flatter and reassure Trump because he threatened to reduce America’s military commitment to Europe. Reuters likewise described Rutte as using “flattery” to ease tensions over Iran and NATO. Those were legitimate news angles.
But where was the comparable emphasis on Rutte’s nuclear assessment?
CBS reported on how Rutte praised Trump for setting back Iran’s nuclear capabilities but did not highlight Rutte’s far more consequential assessment that Iran was “basically getting its hands on” that capability. Similarly, a review of coverage by NBC, ABC, NPR, PBS, The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times found no prominent treatment of Rutte’s explicit agreement with Trump on Iran’s nuclear proximity.
Suppose Rutte said Iran was nowhere close to obtaining nuclear capability, that Trump exaggerated the threat and that the war was unnecessary. It would have led broadcasts and been cited as independent proof that Trump misled the country.
Imagine the headlines: “NATO Head Disputes Trump’s Claim on Iran’s Proximity to Acquiring a Nuclear Weapon”; “NATO Secretary General Undercuts Trump’s Rationale for the Iran War”; or “NATO Leader Sides With Americans Who Question the Iran War.”
Instead, Rutte’s assessment was overshadowed by stories about Trump’s grievances with NATO and Rutte’s conspicuous praise of the president. Was Rutte flattering Trump? Quite possibly. After all, Trump angrily criticized European allies for failing to join the military operation against Iran and raised the possibility of pulling American troops out of Europe.
But that does not render Rutte’s nuclear assessment unimportant.
Whatever many in the media think about Trump’s veracity, Rutte’s comment is most certainly newsworthy and merited far more attention. Skeptical journalists could have quoted Rutte, offered evidence against his assessment and questioned whether he was merely currying favor.
What they should not have done was treat the statement as though it barely mattered. And, days later, after Iran violated the ceasefire memorandum, Rutte again backed Trump by calling the renewed U.S. strikes “absolutely necessary.”
The war has damaged Trump’s approval ratings. It has become increasingly likely that this conflict may drag on for some time, drive gas prices higher and risk more military casualties. The question remains: Is this a war worth fighting?
Iran has shown time and again it is willing to kill its own people and allow them to suffer to allow its regime to remain in power. What would this regime do with nuclear weapons? Again, as to Iran’s proximity to obtaining this nuclear capability, the NATO secretary general agrees with Trump.
The public deserves to know about it.
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an “Elderado,” visit here. Follow Larry on X @larryelder. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage.
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The Left/Socialists will continue to use MSM to bury the truth and exploit the ignorance of the public. Will enough people wake up to the false rhetoric of MSM and vote in those who will make positive changes that will save the nation from going down the wrong road. The upcoming midterm election will determine the route that the nation will take.
Sad to say, but this is another example of an irresponsible media with an axe to grind. The corporate media and the greed of Wall Street are culpable for the divide in this country between us. They are also responsible for keeping the public ignorant and spurring the rise of Communism through their bias against one side of the political aisle. As the citizens of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua began to see the coming danger they fled to our shores. There’s a similar movement going on inside our country as people flee the Blue States for the free states of the south. Smart people move before the trap slams shut. Are we headed for a Civil War? If the northern tier of the country keeps voting in Communists under the mantle of “Social Democrats” that may very well be the outcome!
I think the world has seen what a nuclear Iran would do; not only to it’s neighbors but the entire world. In their form of government (notice I did not say religion), they believe it’s their right. The IRGC needs to be taken out like Al-Qaida. Only then would any form of diplomacy come close to working. They believe we are the enemy when it’s their way of life that is killing themselves. It’s only a matter of time before we have a foothold there if we don’t already. Karg Island seems to be a likely base of operations.
If the democratic party wants to continue playing nice with the democratic socialist movement, DSM, the Islamic takeover of their party will be complete in several years time and it will be too late for them. At that point, the democrats would be made a fool publicly and the civil war would then include republican and democrat on one side, Islamic state on the other. The future of the US is what’s at stake. The Secretary of States remarks this morning on the far left extremist democratic party takeover were on point. He does not mince words, he has little time for it. ALL americans should heed his words. Islam has NO place on our soil.
The media is so overly left leaning that they cannot, will not. give Trump credit for anything. Even if it includes keeping nukes from being thrown at us.
Republicans need to take more effective steps to publicize important issues that are being ignored by the leftist media. If voters are not being informed about the positive actions of the administration it shows a lack of strategy in the Republican public relations machine.If the media is not going to tell the whole story then the Republicans better get up and do it.
So many IDIOTS think we should have let Iran get a nuclear bomb and ballistic missiles which could travel all the way to the US in order to be an “existential threat.” How well did that work in the 1930s as Hitler and Tojo were amassing power and covering it with “negotiations?” We learned their missiles could already reach both France and England. Don’t you think the citizens in these countries should be at least a LITTLE grateful to us? Of course, they have both surrendered to the Muslims in their countries!
So, clips of all the leading democrats over the years [clintons, obama, sleepy joe, etc etc] say the same thing – “iran cannot have a nuclear weapon…”. Then they all took actions that helped iran work toward getting them: weak treaties, sanctions removal, pallets full of cash, on & on. When Pres Trump actually takes definitive action, he is a monster. They are just wrong in the head.
Censorship of the truth has always been one of the calling cards of evil corrupt individuals. Those in power always want to censor information that is critical of their policies and exercise of that power.
The Leftist-controlled media have but a single goal: not to report the news, but to make Trump and the Republicans look bad. To accomplish that, they will do whatever is necessary: lie, distort, misinform, omit, and so forth. If that damages the security of the United States, so be it, if that makes the United States look bad to its citizens or on the world stage, so be it, AS LONG AS it also makes Trump and the Republicans look bad.
WITHOUT OUR “SAVE AMERICA ACT” THE Socialists Democrats ie UP & COMING COMMUNISTS ARE GOING TO TAKE OVER!! Our DO NOTHING SENATORS OF ID: Mike Crapo, James Risch & leader Thune ARE DEFINITELY RESPONSIBLE. They say write your senators if there is a problem. Well I have been writing & writing & NOTHING! We Pay Their Salaries & They Won’t EVEN Pass our “SAVE AMERICA ACT” WHICH IS GOING TO ALLOW MILLIONS & MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS TO VOTE IN OUR ELECTIONS!!! This is literally bringing Socialism into Our Country. Socialism, is the prelude before they HIT YOU WITH FULL COMMUNISM. Look at Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea & MANY MORE; HOW HAPPY ARE THOSE PEOPLE? FOOD SHORTAGES, BLACK OUTS, TERRIBLE MEDICAL JUST TO NAME A FEW!!! THAT’S WHAT’S COMING WITH THESE DEMOCRAT SOCIALISTS & THAT’S AFTER THEY TAKE ANYTHING OF YOUR’S THAT THEY WANT!!! MONEY, PROPERTY, CARS & MOST CERTAINLY HEALTH CARE!!
97% of Republicans & more than 80% of real Democrats SAID THEY WANT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO PASS THE “SAVE AMERICA ACT”!!!!! We don’t want Illegals Dictating our Future, This is OUR COUNTRY!!!
But our senators have had time to vote themselves in a pay raise, Not to mention Lifetime salaries & HealthCare that we could only Dream About!!! Gee, the Constitution reads that they ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO HAVE ANYTHING THAT WE DON’T HAVE!!! Well I don’t have a lifetime salary or Such Amazingly Incredible Health Care That Is Paid for by the American People!! What’s more they have Incredible Privileges that we don’t have! Why do you think they didn’t care about getting our people paid at the airports? Because they didn’t have to stand in line LIKE WE DID, They just got to Walk to the Front Of The Line!!! How’s that for a SLAP IN THE FACE!!! Good for thee BUT NOT FOR ME!!
Don’t bother to write your senators anymore– JUST CALL T HEIR SORRY ASSES!!! THEY WORK FOR US, LESS THEY FORGOT OR DON’T EVEN CARE!!!!!
Wow, it really is a shock how fast people forget 9/11 and how the “I-A-TOLD YOU”
was screaming on his own media stations “death to all Americans”. They also forgot what happened to the Elite Marine Squad who tracked Ben Laden down from one rathole to another. Do you really think our “then president” was not part of the leaks to keep the Iranian leader alive? People you better consider how close we are to annihilation if those crazed people ever got their hands on nuclear weapons. It’s a religious war in Iran that we should never have been brought into but they are so filled with generations of hate and warmongering that nothing will stop them except DEFEAT. NOTHING WILL STOP THEM EXCEPT DEFEAT, and thank goodness we have a real COMMANDER IN CHIEF at the helm, not a Communist/Socialist lover.
There is a significant percentage of the ‘Murican people against ANYDAMTHING this POTUS does.
J’ever notice that? Inconceivable….
The vast majority of news orgs are run by liberals
I WILL FOREVER BELIEVE THAT THE FOUNDERS WERE CORRECT IN CREATING THE CONSTITUTION, AND I WILL FOREVER BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS MY SAVIOR. AND HAVING HAD A GOOD LIFE ALBEIT HARD AT TIMES THE THINGS I HAVE LEARNED DID NOT HAPPEN BECAUSE OF GROUP THINK. IN MY DAY IN ORDER TO BELONG TO CERTAIN WOMENS GROUPS YOU HAD TO BE A DEMOCRAT. WELL WHEN I LEFT THE PARTY SOME FIFTYISH YEARS AGO MY SO-CALLED FRIENDS BECAME LESS AND LESS. BUT THAT ACTION WAS BENEFICIAL TO ME. I FOUND REALLY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE TO LEARN FROM AND BECOME FRIENDS WITH. I HATE GROUP THINK. GOD MADE ME IN HIS IMAGE BUT NOT A CARBON COPY. THESE PERSONS WHO ARE GOING AROUND DESTROYING THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY AND GOVERNMENT ARE NOTHING BETTER THAN BABBOONS AND GORILLAS TURF FIGHTING. STUPIID. I SAY BRING IN THE MILITARY FOR EVERY CONFLICT. THE INFIDELS WILL GET THE MESSAGE………..MAGA MAGA MAGA
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I applaud President Trump and his efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. However, in the long term after President Trump is long gone, I believe that Iran will be more likely than not to acquire a nuclear weapon. BIBLICAL Prophecy says that Iran, Russia, and their proxies and allies will attack ISRAEL, and they will be defeated by Divine intervention from the God of the Universe/the God of the Bible. That is my reasoning.