Usa Thread

[bust]

Pete Hegseth fires intelligence boss over assessment of damage from Iran strikes

Pete Hegseth has fired the head of the Defence Intelligence Agency. (AP: AL Drago)

In short:

The head of the US Defense Intelligency Agency (DIA), Lieutenant General Jeffery Kruse, has been fired.

His firing comes after the DIA produced a preliminary assessment that said US strikes on Iran set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months.

The reason for Lieutenant General Kruse's firing has not been made public.

The head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and two other senior officers have been fired — the latest in a series of military firings this year.

The removal of Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, who led the DIA since early 2024, comes after the agency produced a preliminary assessment that said US strikes on Iran set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months.

The assessment contradicted claims from US President Donald Trump that the strikes totally destroyed the nuclear sites, drawing the ire of both him and officials within his administration.

Lieutenant General Kruse "will no longer serve as DIA director", a senior defence official said on condition of anonymity, without providing an explanation for the general's departure.

Jeffrey Kruse has been fired as the head of the Defence Intelligence Agency. (AP: Mark Schiefelbein)

Prior to becoming director of the DIA, Lieutenant General Kruse served as the advisor for military affairs for the director of national intelligence, and also held positions including director of intelligence for the coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group.

A US official separately said on condition of anonymity that two other senior officers — Vice Admiral Nancy Lacore, chief of Navy Reserve, and Rear Admiral Milton Sands, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command — were also leaving their positions.

Series of top officers fired

In June, the United States launched a massive operation against three Iranian nuclear sites, an effort that involved more than 125 US aircraft as well as a guided missile submarine.

Mr Trump called the strikes a "spectacular military success" and repeatedly said they "obliterated" the nuclear sites, but the DIA's preliminary assessment raised doubts about the president's claims.

The Trump administration responded with an offensive against the media, insisting the operation was a total success and berating journalists for reporting on the assessment.

Photo shows President Donald Trump speaks to US military officers

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said in response that members of the US military would not be entering Mexican territory.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisted the assessment was "leaked because someone had an agenda to try to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn't successful", and slammed "fawning coverage of a preliminary assessment".

Since beginning his second term in January, Mr Trump has overseen a purge of top military officers, including chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles CQ Brown, whom he fired without explanation in February.

Other senior officers dismissed this year include the heads of the Navy and Coast Guard, the general who headed the National Security Agency, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, a Navy admiral assigned to NATO, and three top military lawyers.

Photo shows Donald Trump attends the NATO summit in The Hague

Donald Trump's assertion comes after a leaked preliminary US intelligence assessment reportedly found the weekend strikes only set back Iran's nuclear program by less than six months.

The chief of staff of the Air Force also recently announced his retirement without explanation just two years into a four-year term.

Mr Hegseth has insisted the president is simply choosing the leaders he wants, but Democratic politicians have raised concerns about the potential politicisation of the traditionally neutral US military.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon chief additionally ordered at least a 20 per cent reduction in the number of active-duty four-star generals and admirals in the US military, as well as a 10 per cent cut in the overall number of general and flag officers.

AFP

[Coss]

They're starting to run out of galloping room, in their quest to be bigger better and stronger, than everyone else in the playground.

I'm picking there'll be tears before long.

vis

Trump signals he wants to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un LINK

Spy agencies quiet on reported US blocking of Five Eyes intel sharing LINK

There's a reason that previous Presidents and Administrations, didn't run the USA like a TV show, ignoring anything but bad ratings, the reason is: eventually TV shows get cancelled, even Trump's one.

 

 

[Coss]

additionally: I have a 93 yr old with swollen ankles and large bruises on his hands, he's not long for here.

Trump is 79, never an athlete, 5 deferrals for bone spurs, so not likely to get much past 80.

To be fair, a lot of people don't get to 80, and Trump has done well to get this far.

Even though the advances of medicine and the sophistication of "stand up straight and talk" pills, have increased remarkably, this show will crash, if he doesn't step back a bit...

 

note: cufflinks not gold enough, he's obviously losing his mind.... 😜

[Coss]

[bust]

5 hours ago, Coss said:

note: cufflinks not gold enough, he's obviously losing his mind.... 😜

 

[buffalo_bill]

Two souls dwell, alas, in my breast

Shall explain later today. 

 

[buffalo_bill]

7 hours ago, buffalo_bill said:

Two souls dwell, alas, in my breast

( We are entering high class poetry here, I took this from famous German writer Goethe.  

 

 

As follows: first I wish to make sure everybody knows I am a leading member of the established Trump-haters mainly because he is on the way to destroy the US-American democracy. 

But second, I support President Donald destroying one of the piles of any national exonomy, talking about the Federal Reserve Bank. This will result in enormous additional cost to finance the already giantic debts of the US and, which is what I am looking at, a weaker Yankee Dolla. Today he tried to sack one of the governors, she is black which might have made it even more attractive for Donald. This looks altogether very promising.

[buffalo_bill]

Gentlemen, just had the unique opportunity to watch a Trump cabinet meeting live. Thanks to CNN .Several people, some of them women sitting opposite the PRESIDENT did nothing but praising him. Mr Rubio sitting next to him had obvious difficulties not to fall asleep while the extremely talented Mr Hegseth worked on his smartphone. I honestly admire the Donald for not falling asleep, what a great great comedy. This is all ridiculous but still it represents the mighty US, that is the problem.

[Mekong]

[Coss]

There are 120 guns for every 100 Americans, according to the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey (SAS). No other nation has more civilian guns than people.

 

LINK to pay with interactive graphic thingy showing what other countries have...