The world could be happy that a ruthless killer is no longer among us. But to the Iranian people Qassem Soleimani was a hero and patriot, and we have to ask if Donald Trump had fully planned how to counter the inevitable retaliation for his assassination. (Even George W. Bush, who started wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, was wise enough to steer clear of this hornets’ nest.)
An article in The Atlantic (November 2019) gives us a hint. The writer, Mark Bowden, author of “The Finish: The killing of Osama Bin Laden,” interviewed numerous U.S. military leaders up and down the ranks asking what their experience was like serving under Donald Trump. The general consensus was that he distains experience, trusts only his own instincts, resists coherent strategy, is reflexively contrary, and has simplistic and antiquated notion of soldiering.
Does this sound like a man who weighs the long-term consequences of his actions? I hope our generals hide the keys to our nuclear arsenal.
Melanie Lanctot
Readfield
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