Donald Trump has broken every diplomatic rule in the book in his disastrous unprovoked war of aggression against Iran. Now he’s trying to suck in Europe and Australia. Watch the replay.
Australia is now in the crosshairs of U.S. President Donald Trump who is lashing out at anyone he can blame for the monumentally historic mess he has made with his unprovoked attack on Iran.
Faced with the worst oil shock in history, according to the International Energy Agency, Trump still can’t seem to figure out the results of his action. Though war planners have been saying for decades that Iran would shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a third of the world’s oil and gas exits, Trump is flailing around trying to find a way to reopen it.
His options are limited. Iran’s Gulf coast is honeycombed with ballistic missiles embedded in the cliffs. It has a fleet of speedboats that it has yet to unleash. And its still formidable drone supply remains undepleted. Plus it has 1.2 million men in arms, making a U.S. land invasion a cruel fantasy for Washington.
Trump is looking around to see who will help him reopen them there Straits.
The Europeans, his favorite vassals and whipping boys, this time have incredibly said no. Rather than look in the mirror, Trump called them “cowards.” Then he said he didn’t really need them. He was just testing them. Then he called them cowards again.
How about Australia? Well, Anthony Albanese has already responded where no one else would, sending a surveillance plane to supposedly help defend the United Arab Emirates. But the plane is also performing an offensive function for the U.S. attack, despite the protestations of Mr. Albanese.
Nonetheless, Trump said he was “surprised” at the Australian government’s response to his request to anybody to please help him open the Straits. “[Starmer] didn’t want to help us,” Trump said. “Australia too, Australia was not great. I was a little surprised by Australia.”
Albanese responded that Trump needed to explain his comments.
“But of course I make the point as well that Australia wasn’t consulted before this action was undertaken, and I respect that,” Albanese said. “That’s a matter for the United States. What Australia is responsible for and what I, as the Prime Minister of Australia, am responsible for is Australia’s response. And we’ve been constructive.”
Meanwhile Trump keeps humiliating himself by setting new deadlines for Iran to open the straits, or else…. or else what?
To discuss this mess we are joined by three distinguished former Australian diplomats. — Joe Lauria
GUESTS
Dr. Alison Broinowski is an Australian academic, journalist, writer and former diplomat. She was the Acting President of Australians for War Powers Reform and is currently a member of the board.
Richard Broinowski is a former Australian ambassador to the Mexico, Central American Republics and Cuba, Vietnam, Korea, and Mexico. He is the author of four books, all of which related to diplomacy.
Tony Kevin, author, commentator and former Australian ambassador to Cambodia and Poland.
INTERVIEWERS: Joe Lauria and Cathy Vogan
PRODUCER: Cathy Vogan
We now have expanded far beyond the Baghdad Bob days in adding to the laugh tracks of war commentary. Rumpled Rumsfeld isn’t around to see the sky may actually be falling on us and our arrogance in precision fairy tales.
“Donald, Donald, it’s me, Anthony Albanese!”
“Who the hell is Antoni Albaneasy”
“I think he’s the aUStralian PM sir”
“Yes Antoni, what do you want?”
“We’ll send some victims _ _ _ I mean soldiers Donald”
“I’ll get back to you Tony, I’m busy eating my Big Mac”