President Donald Trump has signaled that his administration’s sustained strikes against Iran’s embattled regime could lead to the conflict ending in four or five weeks–or longer, “far longer”, according to the nation’s Commander-In-Chief.
“Whatever it takes. … Right from the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that”, Trump said on Monday.
It’s the ‘far longer’ that has many Americans worried, including in East Point and surrounding areas.
“Smells like another Iraq”, said one East Point resident who spoke while loading groceries into his car at a nearby grocery store but chose not to be named.
He also added, “they want that oil”.
Many local residents recall the events of 2002, when the United States controversially invaded Iraq. George W. Bush administration officials declared Iraq was in possession of WMD–Weapons Of Mass Destruction–and a congressionally-approved war commenced. Ultimately, that effort led to a years-long American military presence in Iraq that cost over 4,000 American lives, and well over a trillion American taxpayer dollars–and no discovery of weapons of mass destruction. Memories from that era has many Americans viewing the current conflict with Iran apprehensively.
“Iran is a problem, but they don’t need to let this get out of hand”, said College Park resident Amelia Johnson.
The Trump administration is adamant that Iran won’t be Iraq, and the U.S. government isn’t engaged in nation-building in Iran.
U.S. military and government officials have maintained that war became necessary after negotiations went nowhere. U.S. officials have long suspected Iran aims to build a nuclear arsenal in order to potentially attack neighboring Israel or even the United States. Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful in nature.
The Iranian regime has resisted the U.S. and Israeli joint bombing efforts, and has drawn its neighbors into the fray by launching hundreds of strikes on Gulf states such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
As of now, 4 American service members have been killed in the fighting.