That's got to be about the most tabloidy website I've seen.

You appear to be unduly impressed by aesthetics.

'The blast radius is believed to be over 300 meters and the weapon is described as "the father of all bombs".'

MOAB is stands for Mother Of All Bombs. The Russians have developed one that they claim is 4 times as powerful and that one is called the "Father Of All Bombs".

These are thermobaric bombs, something that came up recently on another thread.

Seriously, it's a bad article. It leaves readers less informed overall than if they hadn't read the article at all.

Trump is allowing the generals to do something Obama never did.

That is, the commanders decide what to do and then go ahead and do it.

"Assign responsibility and delegate authority!"

“You da man,” Donald – “Git ‘er done” …

MOAB is stands for Mother Of All Bombs

If that means what I think it means, no, it doesn't.

Wiki seems to be your primary source so you can look there for what a 'Massive Ordnance Air Blast' (bomb) is and does.

Wiki seems to be your primary source so you can look there for what a 'Massive Ordnance Air Blast' (bomb) is and does.

I know. But the nickname is Mother Of All Bombs. And it is the Russian version that is the Father Of All Bombs.

A key fact that your crappy article could not discern.

I went ahead and posted a better article.

Trump is allowing the generals to do something Obama never did.

That is, the commanders decide what to do and then go ahead and do it.

First use of a weapon we've kept in reserve in the arsenal since 2003?

I think Trump did give the order to use it.

That mushroom cloud image was a message too. For Iran, for NKorea. For Assad.

And of course the Pentagon has many many plans for using our weapons against our enemies. That's their job, to be ready to attack anything and everything if they're ordered to.

And of course the Pentagon has many many plans for using our weapons against our enemies. That's their job, to be ready to attack anything and everything if they're ordered to.

That made me smile....you telling me that.

Trump is allowing the generals to do something Obama never did.
That is, the commanders decide what to do and then go ahead and do it.

I think Trump did give the order to use it.

I told you Trump was “assigning responsibility and delegating authority.”

Here is but one of the many places that I have seen these types of remarks:
Trump Has Freed U.S. Military From WH Micromanagement

Here is but one of the many places that I have seen these types of remarks:

Yeah, I saw the commander on TV.

Well, I guess it is legal if Trump just delegates all his command decisions to others. Apparently, that is what you prefer as well.

Here is but one of the many places that I have seen these types of remarks:

Yeah, I saw the commander Lieutenant Colonel on TV.

Well, I guess it is legal if Trump just delegates all his command decisions to others.

Apparently, that is what you prefer as well.

Nah….“taught” that as a matter of policy and procedure.

Delegation of Authority –

The action by which a commander assigns part of his or her authority commensurate with the assigned task [the part of “assigned responsibility” when used with “delegate authority”] to a subordinate commander. While ultimate responsibility cannot be relinquished, delegation of authority carries with it the imposition of a measure of responsibility. The extent of the authority delegated must be clearly stated. One restriction to the delegation of authority is only the President can direct the use of nuclear weapons by U.S. armed forces. The President's order is subject to secondary confirmation by the Secretary of Defense.

Delegation of Authority –

So far, we have heard in several reports that this attack with the MOAB was planned for months by the general in charge and that the weapon had been moved there, apparently in January or February.

It sounds like this was started in November or December, that it was in fact authorized originally by 0bama, much as the SEAL raid in Yemen had been authorized by 0bama but executed after Trump became prez.

You seem to want to believe that Trump just let it continue until the commander struck. I think Trump probably gave the order and was briefed on the target like you would expect any president would be.

Given the fuss over the 21,000lb MOAB, it seems people have forgotten our repeated use of 15,000lb daisycutters on...the very same complex of tunnels and caves at Tora Bora.

CBS, 2001: US bombs al Qaeda cave with "daisy cutter"

You have to wonder if there was something specific the general was after. Back then, we were chasing alleged sitings of Osama bin Laden who was very familiar with the region. We haven't hit those caves/tunnels like this in a long time. The way the media is going MOAB-crazy, you'd think they never heard of these big terror-bombs before.

I was surprised they claimed only 34 dead from the blast. I guess I was expecting a lot more than that from such an expensive bomb. One could achieve much the same effect from more conventional bombs dropped by B-52s so they must have had some particular target or purpose in using this particular bomb and it was a target that existed for months or that they believed would pop up at the cave/tunnels for some time.

All I'm saying is we really don't know the half of what they were up to with this MOAB. They decided not to tell us. You'd think it would have to be something like taking out a meeting of the senior leadership of the ISIS group in eastern Afghanistan to rate so much planning and the use of a rare MOAB bomb from our stockpile of 15 units.

I was surprised they claimed only 34 dead from the blast. I guess I was expecting a lot more than that from such an expensive bomb.

We should just start hiring to mob to take them out,and save the tax payers billions.

… much as the SEAL raid in Yemen had been authorized by 0bama but executed after Trump became prez.

I don’t know where you are getting that, but you can believe what you want to.

The only problem is, a former Obama administration official said differently, the former Obama administration official said the raid carried out was never specifically discussed in the White House when Barack Obama was president.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2017/02/02/pentagon- and-white-house-defend-planning-in-deadly-seal-team-raid-in-yemen/? utm_term=.46f052ec1342

I don’t know where you are getting that, but you can believe what you want to.

They announced that they had been waiting for some time to try to catch a group of the Yemenis at the site. And then they were waiting for a full moon which is why it waited until Trump was in office.

At least, that is what they told the press.

But if you'd rather believe 0bama cronies than the Pentagon and the Trump WH, go ahead.

So far, we have heard in several reports that this attack with the MOAB was planned for months by the general in charge and that the weapon had been moved there, apparently in January or February.

It sounds like this was started in November or December, that it was in fact authorized originally by 0bama, much as the SEAL raid in Yemen had been authorized by 0bama but executed after Trump became prez.

You seem to have Obama stuck in your mind.

The same as it was disputed that Obama authorized the Seal raid in Yemen by a White House official….Ben Rhodes said using MOAB was not discussed at senior levels of Obama White House when the Daily Beast reported that the Obama admin gave top American general in Afghanistan permission to use MOAB against Taliban & ISIS.

https://twitter.com/brhodes/status/852601640553238529

At least you are consistent …

Of course, maybe the Pentagon just moves these big bombs around on a whim. But I thought all 15 MOABs were stored at some base here in the States since we declined to use them to shock-n-awe Iraqi troops, their original purpose supposedly.

And then they were waiting for a full moon which is why it waited until Trump was in office.

It was decided it would be best to carry the raid out in the dark of a “moonless night, and it was.

“Full moon!”

Geeze …

But if you'd rather believe 0bama cronies than the Pentagon and the Trump WH, go ahead.

It is not a case of me wanting to believe anyone.

I am merely pointing out, as I always have, there are conflicting reports and those should be considered.

Never believe what you first read….and above all, never believe something merely because it is what you want to believe.

Never believe what you first read….and above all, never believe something merely because it is what you want to believe.

That sounds to me a lot more like a description of you taking the word of some minor 0bama NSC staffer as reported in Trump-hating WaPo.

Something was authorized by someone when they sent the MOAB to Afghanistan.

Duh….okay.

They make it sound like it was moved some time back and that planning was already underway.

As you said before on another thread….planning is always underway for every contingency.

So, there is nothing strange here.

Of course, maybe the Pentagon just moves these big bombs around on a whim.

Sarcasm aside, the CG was obviously considering using the MOAB and wanted it immediately available should a “strike opportunity” jump to the “now” forefront….and he would not have the time delay of dragging one out of storage way back as some stateside base.

Makes sense to me …

That sounds to me a lot more like a description of you taking the word of some minor 0bama NSC staffer as reported in Trump-hating WaPo.

You make things sound to you to fit what you want to believe.

Why do you always do that?

Trump-hating WaPo.

They don't hate him now after he started toeing the neocon line.

Cheerleading US Aggression

A neocon/CIA-connected Washington Post propaganda piece headlined “Trump enforces the ‘red line’ on chemical weapons.”

As you said before on another thread….planning is always underway for every contingency.

Just because they might plan to use nukes on the Korean peninsula doesn't mean they actually ship those nukes to the Korean peninsula because they might decide to use them.

The military has its own ways but I don't think they moved a bomb that big and expensive to Afghanistan unless they had a very specific idea about using it in the near future.

You make things sound to you to fit what you want to believe.

And you don't?

It lied blaming Assad for “us(ing) (sarin) nerve gas in Idlib,” claiming most likely it was in response to “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson say(ing) a few days earlier…that (his) future ‘will be decided by the Syrian people…’ ”

I found that a little hard to buy into.

Tillerson: "Assad's future is up to the Syrian people."
Assad: "Hot damn, he's given me a green light to gas Sunnis just like Hitler gassed Jews. Launch the gas bombs, Achmed!"

Assad had good reason not to take 0bama too seriously but he had no way of knowing what Trump would or would not do.

Just because they might plan to use nukes on the Korean peninsula doesn't mean they actually ship those nukes to the Korean peninsula because they might decide to use them.

You silly boy, you are so anachronistic!

Trump’s Options for North Korea Include Placing Nukes in South Korea.

Also, the issue of possible redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons to South Korea has been debated, and still is

The military has its own ways but I don't think they moved a bomb that big and expensive to Afghanistan unless they had a very specific idea about using it in the near future.

You make things sound to you to fit what you want to believe.

And you don't?

Of course not ...

Just because they might plan to use nukes on the Korean peninsula doesn't mean they actually ship those nukes to the Korean peninsula because they might decide to use them.

Possibility of U.S. redeploying tactical nukes in S. Korea fuels fresh controversy

I was just saying that some elements of our arsenal probably are not just shipped around willy-nilly and that if we move them from their assigned depot, it is because we intend to use them in the short term. As with this MOAB.

That's true ....