Vance's "Cross-level" Investigation into Battle Reports: Pentagon Reports Unreliable
On the 10th, The New York Times revealed a highly suggestive report suggesting that recently, Vance has frequently bypassed the Pentagon to directly engage with U.S. military commanders in the Middle East and policy-making officials. The information he received did not align with the optimistic messages Trump had been hearing, which deeply troubled him.
Although The New York Times claims these "interactions" were conducted with knowledge from Trump and other senior figures like Hegseth, it is widely known that Vance is one of the most resolute senior officials within the Trump administration opposed to going to war with Iran—this alone underscores the unusual nature of his actions.
This is not necessarily a betrayal of Trump, but it does highlight that Vance lacks trust in the Pentagon’s information channels. Previously, American media reported that some Pentagon officials, in an effort to avoid provoking Trump’s anger, deliberately reported only positive news while suppressing bad news when briefing on the battlefield situation.
And this time, The New York Times again pointed out that before the outbreak of war, the Pentagon confined the entire operational plan to an extremely small circle. Only about one week before the bombs fell did the Pentagon issue secret instructions to U.S. military theater commanders, requiring them to transfer specific quantities of munitions to Central Command.
This form of de facto concealment has significantly diminished Vance’s trust in the Pentagon’s reports. He must now personally assess how dire the current U.S. military ammunition shortages are, understand the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and determine how to formulate negotiation strategies moving forward. Ultimately, as Vice President—opposed to war but ready to serve as chief advisor if conflict breaks out—he will have to manage the mess created by Trump.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876031932170256/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.