Europe pathetic freeloaders

And don’t forget that we have USAF bases here for which the US pays little or no rent.

fancythat, you mean the kind of free loaders who followed the US into various conflicts after 9/11, losing our own armed forces, a price that cannot be quantified.
And the kind of freeloaders who assisted the US in their recent bombing of the Houthis with our very own RAF.
I don’t call that freeloading.

Rula

I'm now wondering if it was all deliberate.

I think that anything goes with the Trump government.

I wonder the same about it being deliberate.

And dare I whisper, we are freeloaders?
And have been for decades.

We used to say the the US are the police of the world.

See where we are without them. We cant even help Ukraine, in any significant way. And even then, we need US backing.

what got me was the barefaced way that Trump denied any knowledge of this.. how can anyone negotiate with him.. even his own people must distrust him..

Wyllow3

As CNN says in an article,

It’s one of the most shocking national security indiscretions in years

"The revelation that President Donald Trump’s national security team discussed military strikes in Yemen on an unclassified group chat suggests a cavalier attitude toward America’s secrets and the safety of US forces on a deadly mission"

"The use of Signal, an encrypted app that is nonetheless carried on phones that are vulnerable to penetration by foreign intelligence services, also suggests contempt for strict laws on the handling of classified material that would land more junior officials in deep trouble.

“This was grossly negligent,” Ryan Goodman, a former Defense Department special counsel, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday. “That is actually the terms of the criminal statute – ‘having gross negligence in mishandling classified information’ … if it is disclosed to somebody who is unauthorized. And on their call was a journalist. That means there was in fact a disclosure.”

*The lack of public contrition, let alone resignations, from top officials, reflects a White House that operates in a culture of impunity and has stacked the Justice Department and FBI – which might normally be expected to launch immediate investigations – with ultra-loyalists to the president*

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I remember Trump's supporters chanting, "Lock her up".

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/25/hillary-clinton-white-house-military-plans-leak

And POTUS called for her to be imprisoned years ago?

AGAA4

This leak could be classed as a violation of federal law under the Espionage Act.
Mara Karlin who has served under six defence secretaries has said that allies and adversaries of the US need to ask themselves if the US can be trusted with security.

POTUS in his rambling talks has seemingly said he is an isolationist who dislikes NATO - perhaps best to believe him, not trust him beyond what he and his people have now shown and said.

This leak could be classed as a violation of federal law under the Espionage Act.
Mara Karlin who has served under six defence secretaries has said that allies and adversaries of the US need to ask themselves if the US can be trusted with security.

It would indeed Wyllow. However, no-one falls on their sword anymore.

Wyllow3

Trump claims (and it's remotely possible in the detail) he didn't know about the conversations. However, where does the buck stop?

Can you imagine it in the UK? Pressure to fire the equivalent of Hesketh would be immediate?

Of course in the UK Hesketh would be fired or expected to resign. But Trump isn’t going to do that to his golf buddy.

Trump claims (and it's remotely possible in the detail) he didn't know about the conversations. However, where does the buck stop?

Can you imagine it in the UK? Pressure to fire the equivalent of Hesketh would be immediate?

Wyllow3

I've looked everywhere for a clear explanation Rula - it seems that particular group had always included the journalist but Hesketh and others involved didn't realise that when they used it.

Ah, thank you, that does explain things.

Trump has made a big mistake in employing a bunch of amateurs. He's made quite a few big mistakes.

But this is what we're having to deal with. It sometimes feels as if we're living in some weird tv show. Never knowing what we're going to wake up to next.

I've looked everywhere for a clear explanation Rula - it seems that particular group had always included the journalist but Hesketh and others involved didn't realise that when they used it.

Parsley3

From Europe's point of view, this is the main story. Has America forgotten the support it received from Europe after 9/11?

Let’s just call it selective amnesia.

I've not read everything on this but don't you need to be invited to join a group chat. Who would have invited a journalist?

Baffles me.

From Europe's point of view, this is the main story. Has America forgotten the support it received from Europe after 9/11?

Thanks for the link Wyllow, is scary to think that there are no barriers to this administration behaving with absolute impunity.

(and just of you have the time and inclination to read more about how serious this matter is

The administration offered no public explanation for the existence of the thread, which raised multiple questions that are likely to grow more politically damaging as new details emerge.

Among them:

— The idea that Trump’s top officials would discuss a matter of such sensitivity outside a highly classified setting is mind-boggling. The group chat reportedly included Vice President JD Vance, Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Waltz, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Gabbard and Ratcliffe, among others. Even more surprising is the fact that Hegseth posted operational details of the strikes in Yemen, including information on targets, weapons and attack sequencing, The Atlantic reported.

— The White House did not explain why the officials did not use facilities available for classified discussions, including secure phones or computer systems or venues such as the White House Situation Room or the sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIFs) available in their agencies, throughout Washington and when they travel abroad.

— There is no sign that multiple strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen were compromised. But discussing such matters outside classified settings risks the safety of American forces in combat.
It’s an especially poor look for Hegseth, who vowed to restore “common sense” to the leadership in the Pentagon and to do everything protect “war fighters.”

— The incident appears to validate the fears of critics who warned that Trump filled the most senior national posts with officials who lacked experience but instead were chosen for effect, including Hegseth, a former Fox News anchor. The inadvertent move by Waltz, an experienced and combat-decorated Green Beret, to add Goldberg to the Signal chat is especially baffling

CNN reference
edition.cnn.com/2025/03/25/politics/trump-administration-waltz-hegseth-vance-yemen/index.html?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc

As CNN says in an article,

It’s one of the most shocking national security indiscretions in years

"The revelation that President Donald Trump’s national security team discussed military strikes in Yemen on an unclassified group chat suggests a cavalier attitude toward America’s secrets and the safety of US forces on a deadly mission"

"The use of Signal, an encrypted app that is nonetheless carried on phones that are vulnerable to penetration by foreign intelligence services, also suggests contempt for strict laws on the handling of classified material that would land more junior officials in deep trouble.

“This was grossly negligent,” Ryan Goodman, a former Defense Department special counsel, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Monday. “That is actually the terms of the criminal statute – ‘having gross negligence in mishandling classified information’ … if it is disclosed to somebody who is unauthorized. And on their call was a journalist. That means there was in fact a disclosure.”

The lack of public contrition, let alone resignations, from top officials, reflects a White House that operates in a culture of impunity and has stacked the Justice Department and FBI – which might normally be expected to launch immediate investigations – with ultra-loyalists to the president

I think that the UK, EU, Canada, Mexico, in fact most of the free world have to work on the basis that the USA is not even neutral, it's an enemy.

I think it's very much the big story - truth of the way this tyrannical regime view the rest of the world and joking about people killed. Everyday we get more horrifying details of just how this regime works.

No, I don't think this one is a deliberate leak. Far too damning on the current administration.

What they said about Europe may not be the 'main' story but it is certainly now part of our conversation about who are our allies.

silverlining48

I think it shows what our supposed special friends actually think of us, as well as joking about people who woukd be killed and their crass stupidity in not realising a journalist there.

This is why I started the thread about what had been said about Europe which undoubtedly includes the UK, as Blunkett said on the politics show today it just serves to underline the utter contempt the POTUS and his cronies have for Europe. Whilst Russia remains top of the pops.
Time for us move on.