Attacking Iran: Trump trods a well-worn path.

Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

One of history’s ironies is that American presidents who promise to stay out of foreign wars end up leading the country into them.

“He kept us out of war” was the promise of Woodrow Wilson’s 1916 reelection campaign. By April 1917, Wilson was asking for a declaration of war against imperial Germany. Wilson had justification. Berlin had offered Mexico the Southwest if it allied itself with Germany, should the U.S. enter World War I on the Allied side. In retaliation for American aid to the allies, German saboteurs had blown up the ammunition pier on Black Tom Island, New Jersey, destroying everything in the neighborhood, even the island. Shells rained down on New York Harbor, and the shock wave cracked the arm of the Statue of Liberty. American counter-intelligence had arrested numerous German spies. For Wilson, unrestricted submarine warfare, where the Kriegsmarine went so far as to sink passenger liners, was the last straw. And so, the U.S. entered World War I with an army little more than a frontier constabulary configured to fight “Injuns”. The Navy, which would operate with the Royal Navy, was in better shape with the two most modern battleships in the world—USS New York and her sister, USS Texas.

“Your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars,” pledged Franklin Roosevelt in October 1940. FDR was disingenuous. In July 1941, U.S. Marines relieved the British garrison occupying Iceland. By September 1941, the U.S. Navy was escorting British convoys while fighting an undeclared naval war against Germany in the North Atlantic under orders to sink German subs on sight. American destroyers were lost; USS Ruben James went down to her “dark and watery grave” in October 1941. Royal Navy warships were repaired in American navy yards; elements of the Atlantic Fleet escorted a British convoy to the Middle East. Without a declaration of war, the U.S. was involved in World War II up to its eye teeth months before Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Both Wilson and Roosevelt, counter to their promises, had found the need to respond with military force to a foreign menace whose appetite for conquest was insatiable.

Now it’s President Trump’s turn. The media and certain politicians condemn him for waging war without congressional approval; their memories are short. The U.S. has been at war with Iran since November 1979, when the U.S. embassy—sovereign territory—was invaded and American diplomats taken hostage in violation of international law. While the Soviets fired on wall jumpers, the U.S. did nothing and pitifully surrendered the embassy without a shot. Tehran expected to be hammered. President Carter’s failure to immediately retaliate led to America being seen as a “paper tiger,” a perception that led to even more attacks on Americans and American interests by Tehran or its proxies.

Iran continued to pull the American eagle’s tail until slammed by Trump’s orders to take out key Iranian players and to obliterate Iranian nuclear sites. Tehran never took the hint. Since March 1, many Iranian leaders, Ayatollah Khamenei among them, have gone to their heavenly reward ahead of schedule. More to come.

Trump’s critics think of Iran as another nation-state; it is not. Iran is messianic Shia Islam, its mission from Allah—submission of the infidel—if not by persuasion, by fire and sword. War against unbelievers is God’s cause. Negotiations, following Koranic teaching, are only to buy time to arm for the next attack. If thousands of Iranians must be sacrificed in holy war, that is God’s will. In the Iran-Iraq War, children were used as human mine sweepers; their reward was to be in heaven with what was left of their remains. Casualties were horrendous; to Ayatollah Khomeini, it was an acceptable price. Iranian President Rafsanjani noted an atomic exchange would destroy Israel, but Muslims could absorb the loss. To true believers, millions of dead Muslims can spark the return of the 12^th Imam, who has been concealing himself since the ninth century. As the final imam, he will bring global peace and justice (except for Jews, who must be killed).

Trump is not dealing with rational people. The Soviets, however evil, were rational; they had no intention of committing national suicide. Iranian fanatics would destroy themselves and their country to advance Islam. In the current crisis, has there been a proper Clausewitzian analysis? Is the desired end state achievable at a reasonable cost? In Iraq, there was ‘catastrophic success” as the entire system collapsed with nothing to replace it. What will replace the clerical mafia? Will Trump’s campaign to eliminate the Iranian menace be successful, or, recalling the tales of Br’er Rabbit, will Iran be Trump’s “tar baby”?

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William Layer

Lt. Colonel Civil Affairs, USAR (ret) served twenty-six years in the regular and reserve components of the US Army. He was civil military liaison for the 260th Military Police, DC National Guard, State Public Affairs Officer, Commander of the Public Affairs unit and a counter-drug intelligence analyst. Transferring to the 352 Civil Affairs Command as monuments and archives officer, he became the Command Public Affairs Officer in Iraq as well as liaison to local Iraqi leaders and acting Secretary to the General Staff. He was instrumental in recovering photographic artifacts of the Iraqi Royal family while in Baghdad. He was wounded in action in an ambush in Feb. 2004 for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.
In his civilian career he worked primarily in Army Public Affairs and for the Air Force as historian to the presidential wing in the early Reagan administration and later for Air Force Legislative Liaison covering congressional hearings and assisting in preparing testimony for senior leaders.
His essays and reviews have appeared in the scholarly and popular press including Asian Affairs and the Washington Times. He is co-author, with Ali Wahab, of The Iraqi Royal Family, a Collection of Photographs Recovered from The Ruins of the Zuhur Palace, 2004.
A native New Yorker, he holds a BA with honors in history from Findlay College (Ohio) and an MA in history from The Ohio State University. He is a graduate of the US Army Command & General Staff College and was graduated with distinction US Naval War College with a MA in National Security and Strategic Studies.