Today's News (pre-war) (2020/1/7)

I'm posting this early to clear the board, as Iran has just sent ballistic missiles at the largest US base in Iraq, giving the GOP the war they've wanted for decades, and giving the Republican Party the excuse to dismiss impeachment charges without even the pretence of a legitimate trial.

I mean, it's not like they were going to have one anyway - see story one, below. But now they'll say "because the war!" because of course they will, and we all know it.

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McConnell Says He Will Proceed on Impeachment Trial Without Witness Deal
The Senate majority leader said he had the votes to begin President Trump’s trial without committing to calling witnesses or admitting new evidence, over Democrats’ objections.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/07/us/politics/impeachment-trial-witnesses.html

WASHINGTON — Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, informed Republicans on Tuesday that he planned to move forward with President Trump’s impeachment trial without committing to additional witnesses or admitting new evidence, over the objections of Democrats who are insisting on both.

SEE ALSO:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-live-updates/2020/01/07/e0f49d52-313b-11ea-91fd-82d4e04a3fac_story.html
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-07/mcconnell-unites-gop-on-trial-rules-aimed-at-trump-acquittal
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/07/mcconnell-prepares-to-move-forward-on-impeachment-trial-rules-without-democrats-095537
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/mcconnell-says-he-has-enough-republican-votes-begin-trump-s-n1111931
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/politics/mitch-mcconnell-impeachment-trial-latest/index.html

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Just remember, if you've seen this, it's not a mistake: it's disinformation.

There are also people today on Twitter trying to link a Libyan-sponsored terrorist aircraft bombing in the 1980s - Pan American 103 - to Iran in general and this guy in particular. In real life, that bombing was ordered by Muammar Gaddafi and that evidence was all quite out in the open. Gaddafi even admitted it, eventually. Libya paid out compensation to victims in 2003.

But here we are. Now it's Iran. And this guy. Somehow.

Pence incorrectly links Iran to 9/11 while trying to justify America's assassination of the country's top general

https://www.businessinsider.com/pence-incorrectly-links-iran-to-911-justify-killing-of-soleimani-2020-1

Vice President Mike Pence on Friday incorrectly and misleadingly linked Iran to the September 11, 2001, terror attacks in a series of tweets aimed at justifying the assassination of Iran's top general the day prior.

The US killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad on Thursday, under the direct orders of President Donald Trump.

As the Trump administration defended the assassination on Friday, the vice president in a tweet said that Soleimani had assisted "in the clandestine travel to Afghanistan of 10 of the 12 terrorists who carried out the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States."

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Esper says US isn't looking 'to start a war with Iran, but we are prepared to finish one'

https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/07/politics/esper-iran-interview/index.html

Washington (CNN)US Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CNN Tuesday that the US is not seeking a war with Iran but it is "prepared to finish one." He also said the US is not withdrawing troops from Iraq following a weekend vote by Iraq's parliament to expel American forces.

"We are not looking to start a war with Iran, but we are prepared to finish one," Esper said during an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour.

Earlier Tuesday, CNN reported that US forces and air-defense missile batteries across the Middle East were placed on high alert overnight Monday to possibly shoot down Iranian drones as intelligence mounted about a threat of an imminent attack against US targets.

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Pentagon rejects Trump threat to target Iranian cultural sites
At odds with president, defence secretary says US will not violate laws of armed conflict by striking cultural sites.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/pentagon-rejects-trump-threat-target-iranian-cultural-sites-200107061647929.html

The United States's defence secretary has contradicted President Donald Trump by saying the country's military had no plans to bomb Iranian cultural sites amid threats of retaliation from Tehran over the US assassination of its top military commander, Qassem Soleimani.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mark Esper said the US military will "follow the laws of armed conflict".

When pressed if that ruled out hitting cultural sites, Esper said pointedly: "That's the laws of armed conflict".