According to the general, 38 days were devoted to meeting the objectives of \u201ctaking away Iran\u2019s military capabilities, destroying its industrial base and infrastructure, taking out the leadership and all of its nuclear potential.\u201d<\/p>\n
All that was needed were another two weeks to complete the objectives, which would have placed Iran on a path to regime change \u2013 since, at that point, the Iranians, with some assistance, would have been able to take advantage of their weakened state.<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump arrives with retired four-star Army General Jack Keane for a ceremony to present Keane with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in the East Room of the White House in Washington, US, March 10, 2020 (credit: REUTERS\/JONATHAN ERNST)<\/p>\n
But instead of finishing the job, a ceasefire was declared on April 7, leaving the mission incomplete. Since then, there has been a protracted period of time during which negotiations have taken place over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, due to there being an impasse.<\/p>\n What came from those talks was predictable: a Memorandum of Understanding agreement, broken by Iran only days from its signing, resulting in extreme economic pressure being placed against the regime in an attempt to break its will.<\/p>\n But with their belief that \u201ctime is on their side,\u201d few are convinced that the dire financial suffering will be enough to get them to cry \u201cuncle.\u201d<\/p>\n Keane deduced that based on Iran\u2019s track record of breaking deals, they will not comply with any deal. Nor does it make any sense to reward them with money, which would enable them to recover and rebuild. That will only result in kicking the can down the road, necessitating a subsequent administration to deal with what could have been brought to an end.<\/p>\n Keane\u2019s closing words were to say that we have got to figure out a way to stop this regime.<\/p>\n While this has represented an accurate retelling of what took place, glaringly absent from the detailed explanation was possibly the most crucial bit of information that would have provided understanding and perspective to a mystery that no one has been able to figure out.<\/p>\n Who decided that a ceasefire was the best course of action, especially as the brutal Iranian regime was about to collapse? If the greatest military minds made their professional assessment that two more weeks were needed to achieve the win, what or who was responsible for ensuring that didn\u2019t happen?<\/p>\n Why was the war stopped? We deserve an answer<\/p>\n It’s an important piece of this puzzle, notably because Keane said the goals were doable and would have resulted in a complete regional reset, bringing the possibility of peace and stability between Israel and all of its neighbors \u2013 including Syria and Lebanon. Who got in the way of that utopian dream?<\/p>\n That went unsaid by Keane. Not a word nor reference was made to the question that begs to be answered \u2013 not even a tiny clue or speculation. It was as if the query was left to the imagination or, in this case, suspicion of the listeners who are scratching their heads as to what actually happened.<\/p>\n According to the Trump administration, the fighting was abruptly stopped in order to resolve the situation with diplomatic measures. But that merely makes us wonder whether US leaders comprehend that they\u2019re dealing with the most masterful liars, manipulators, and bluffers who ever lived.<\/p>\n Why would anyone believe that a deal could be struck or even honored?<\/p>\n Certainly Keane knows that it can\u2019t. Clear-headed and free of illusions, he knows that America is dealing with the best schemers and connivers who will string you along until there is no longer a shred of belief. So why did someone think differently, and who had the power to stop a charging bull that was ready to attack?<\/p>\n