Humiliating failure now looms, as symbolically damaging to US global standing and national self-esteem as Afghanistan or Iraq, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall
Lose how? It’s not they’ll ever conquer him, back in America, and he’ll never surrender on his own. He will spend 10x more lives and money than it requires to keep saving face, to eventually be driven from office, so the next guy can see reason, and end it.
But even if that happens, the damage is already done. Iran’s new Supreme Leader got the job when a bomb killed not only his father, but also his mother, wife, and daughter. What are the chances that he will negotiate in good faith vs swear to spend the rest of his life getting revenge?
Lose how? It’s not they’ll ever conquer him, back in America, and he’ll never surrender on his own. He will spend 10x more lives and money than it requires to keep saving face, to eventually be driven from office, so the next guy can see reason, and end it.
But even if that happens, the damage is already done. Iran’s new Supreme Leader got the job when a bomb killed not only his father, but also his mother, wife, and daughter. What are the chances that he will negotiate in good faith vs swear to spend the rest of his life getting revenge?