Writer worried about the country being propelled into another war

I am concerned about my country. I want us all to ask ourselves some questions about the assassination of Soleimani. The administration has said, they had “specific” information that he was planning an “imminent”, “broad, large-scale attack”, but didn’t know where and when it would happen, so:

1. If you don’t know where and when, how is it imminent or specific information?

2. a) Why kill the guy that knows the where and when…b) Why not capture (we knew where he’d be and when) so we could interrogate him to find out and stop the attack? You could also take him to stand trial for war crimes and/or have leverage over Iran to trade for Americans being held.

3. a) Did killing him stop the attacks? b) Was he carrying the plan in his pocket when he was blown up and no one else knew the plan?

4. Was there any thought to what Iran might do in retaliation that would put Americans in harms way?

5. President Trump now says Soleimani was planning embassy attacks, so why didn’t congressional Republicans and Democrats hear that at their confidential briefing?

6. Trump said his intelligence chiefs were “passive and naïve” and suggested they “should go back to school” when they contradict his beliefs, and that he doesn’t need intelligence briefings so he often skips them, so why does he believe them now?

7. If he believed them this time, didn’t they tell him what Iran’s reaction would be?

These are all matters of life and death, war and peace and the evolving narrative coming from the administration shows we need to ask these questions even if we risk the ire of Trump’s followers, even if they call us traitors for asking questions. We have seen this program before in the run up to Iraq; we don’t need to be lied into another war. So many seem to live in constant fear, anger and resentment and this agitation doesn’t allow critical thinking, it throws common sense questioning out the window. We must ask hard questions and be presented with facts by our government instead of evolving narratives. We must hold our government accountable, it is a citizen’s right and responsibility to do so.

Sanda Oslin, Grand Marais