President Donald Trump has publicly discussed politics for decades and has been surprisingly consistent on issues such as trade, crime, and foreign policy.
So, if Trump’s deft handling of Venezuela is not enough evidence for those critics who fear that this is the beginning of another forever war, complete with nation building, watch Trump in this CNN interview from all the way back in 2007, where he explains exactly how he would handle the mess in Iraq:
At the 2:20 mark, Wolf Blitzer asks Trump, How does America get out of Iraq?
Trump’s answer is what I believe we can expect in Iran:
How do they get out? You know how they get out? They get out. That’s how they get out. Declare victory and leave. Because, I’ll tell you, this country is just going to get further bogged down. They’re in a civil war over there, Wolf. There’s nothing that we’re going to be able to do with a civil war. They are in a major civil war. And it’s going to go to Iran, and it’s going to go to other countries. They are in the midst of a major civil war. By the way, we’re keeping the lid on a little bit. But the day we leave anyway it’s all going to blow up. And Saddam Hussein will be a nice person compared to the man…that takes over… This is a total catastrophe, and you might as well get out now because you’re just wasting time and lives.
This is what Trump did in Venezuela – he declared victory and got out. He removed the bad guy. This sent a message to the new leader that the United States is not screwing around and that the new rules are: Play ball, or we’ll remove you.
I’m confident it’s going to be the same in Iran.
Unlike Iraq and Afghanistan, where stupid people like me believed you could turn 7th-century goat herders and religious fanatics into Thomas Jefferson, Trump’s stated goals in Iran are clear: Annihilate Iran’s rocket, missile, and ballistic missile capabilities. Destroy their nuclear program. Remove any leader who does not accept this or who continues to fund terrorism outside of Iran.
The Trump Doctrine is that you state your objective, achieve your objectives, and then you declare victory and get out.
What happens afterwards within Iran is none of our business.
In other words, there will be none of this you break it, you buy it neocon bullshit.
If the next leader of Iran oppresses his people, that is not our problem. What happens within the borders of a country is none of our business. We lost thousands of Americans, trillions of dollars, and 20 years attempting to impose our will and values on Iraq and Afghanistan. Never again.
As long as the next leader of Iran meets our demands, that’s all we care about, and that’s all we should care about.
We can’t liberate the Iranian people.
Only the Iranian people can liberate the Iranian people.
Declare victory and get out? That’s exactly right.
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