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submitted 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago) by inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

On Monday, the president’s lack of a plan in Iran was outlined in stark terms in a letter to Congress obtained by CBS News officially informing lawmakers of the strikes.

“Although the United States desires a quick and enduring peace, it is not possible at this time to know the full scope and duration of military operations that may be necessary,” Trump said in the letter.

U.S. forces “remain postured to take further action… to address further threats and attacks upon the United States or its allies and partners,” he continued.

The letter was sent under the War Powers Act, a 1973 resolution requiring the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying U.S. forces if Congress has not declared war. The deployment cannot last more than 60 days without congressional approval.

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[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 90 points 20 hours ago

Yeah, it was made at a time when the concept of a war was a months long preparation of deploying troops and moving assets into place. They didn't anticipate just attacking countries overnight.

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world 56 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

This was a months- or weeks-long preparation. It’s been known for a while that the US was moving aircraft carriers towards Iran. This absolutely did not happen overnight.

The BBC from 2026-02-20

Edit: and earlier, Military.com from 2026-01-29

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 4 points 18 hours ago

Its not unusual for US air assets and carriers to be in this region in general. You might want to look at the preparations for the invasion of Iraq if you want to know what an actual preparation for a war looks like.

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world 26 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Right, and the massing of troops on the Ukrainian border by Russia was not a prelude to that invasion either. /s

This was in no way a bolt from the blue. People knew this was coming. Did you even read the linked article?

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 5 points 18 hours ago

Yes. You are aware that February 20th wasn't "months ago" right?

[-] Hawke@lemmy.world 12 points 18 hours ago

But January 29th was over a month ago, and you can bet that this plan started before the news noticed and reported on it.

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 2 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Its OK that you said a stupid thing and then pretended you didn't by changing the definition of what "stupid" is.

[-] wholookshere@piefed.blahaj.zone 8 points 17 hours ago

what? not them but they did add a source as early as January 29th.

I'm lost, how is that redefining stupid?

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 2 points 17 hours ago

Because my argument is that this was not a well prepared war with adequate assets put into place in the region which would take months to do, much like was the case with the 2003 Iraq war. And their counter-argument to that was "look, someone dispatched a carrier to the middle east 33 days ago!"

You tell me if you think that is stupid or not.

[-] wholookshere@piefed.blahaj.zone 6 points 17 hours ago

Okay, but can you see how that's not actually what you said?

You just called it stupid.

But with hindsight, do you think that carrier deployment unrelated?

Because if it is, then some planning went into it.

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 3 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Does that article support the conclusion that Trumps attack on Iran was adequately planned?

[-] wholookshere@piefed.blahaj.zone 2 points 17 hours ago

Do you have something to say there wasn't planning? Because that's your claim with 0 evidence, which beats their something.

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 3 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Sorry, my argument depends on reality that someone who isn't a moron can observe. If you haven't been able to discern a lack of preparation from all of the available evidence that we have been bombarded with over the last three days then nothing I say is going to pull your head out of your ass for you.

[-] wholookshere@piefed.blahaj.zone 3 points 15 hours ago

No your point is that your trying to be the loudest voice.

All you have are insults instead of anything of substance.

Have the day you deserve.

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 2 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Sorry you are too fucking stupid to have a conversation with normal people. I hope you go away and never come back. Oh wait, that is achievable. Buh bye.

[-] porcoesphino@mander.xyz 20 points 20 hours ago

Half of US state capitals are in the middle of states because they were created at a time when travel times were large enough that you wanted to minimise them for political centres. I'm assuming this was around the same time so maybe it even took time to get congress together?

[-] porcoesphino@mander.xyz 9 points 20 hours ago

Oh, I can scroll up two comments. 1973. Scratch that

[-] RedWeasel@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago

The interstate system wasn’t completed until 1992. Speed limits were lower in the 1970s as well and vehicles were not designed to go 70+mph at that time.

They were designed for the faster speeds. Speeds were lowered to 55 mph in most of the country during the 1970s as a (perfectly rational) response to the OPEC oil embargoes in that decade. Lower speeds = lower fuel consumption per mile.

[-] RedWeasel@lemmy.world 1 points 22 minutes ago

Yeah, that makes sense. I forgot the other important detail I was thinking about. Communications. While cell phones were a invented in the 1950s, I think, the technology didn’t start getting wide-spread usage until the 1990s and the internet didn’t exist either back in the 1970s. Sending out deployment orders took a lot longer to happen, just to track down personal and tell everyone. There probably now is just an app you install on your phone and most personal get notified instantly unless they are in a cell dead zone.

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 4 points 19 hours ago

No, it was in the 1970s, for which 60 days was a reasonable amount of time to get soldiers into place in order to fight a war.

[-] logi@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Doesn't that just mean that there is no need to bypass Congress. They can approve while the troops are getting in position.

[-] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 5 points 14 hours ago

Yes, that is the entire point of the war powers act. It allows the president to quickly deploy troops to respond to issues and provides enough time for congress to approve the declaration of war once they are ready to go. Prior to this the US president was NOT permitted to deploy troops at all until congress declared war. The War Powers Act was an EXPANSION of presidential authority.

this post was submitted on 03 Mar 2026
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