Trump has raised strategic incoherence to new levels with Soleimani's killing
by Jennifer Rubin
The Post reports: “Iran on Friday vowed ‘severe revenge’ in response to a U.S. airstrike that killed Tehran’s most powerful military commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, and dramatically sharpened tensions across the Middle East.” The Trump administration announced that the move was a defensive action responding to militia attacks on our Baghdad embassy, but then promptly announced all Americans should leave Iraq. Are we putting Americans at greater risk or protecting them? That is one of dozens of questions that Congress, allies, pundits and ordinary Americans are asking.
Less than seven months ago, Trump pulled back a strike force poised to respond to Iran’s shoot-down of an American drone. Less than three months ago Trump abandoned the Kurds and announced a retreat from Syria to end “forever wars.” Troops did not come home as Trump promised, and indeed, did not all leave Syria, yet another reversal.
With the assassination of Soleimani, who has orchestrated killings of hundreds of American forces and extended Iranian influence throughout the region, the administration raised the prospects for military conflict in the region while subsequently claiming to be de-escalating the chances of war. “U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he discussed the operation afterwards with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Chinese Politburo Member Yang Jiechi, telling them that ‘the U.S. remains committed to de-escalation,’” The Post reports.
All of these conversations apparently took place before Congress had been briefed, drawing a strong rebuke from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). “Tonight’s airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America — and the world — cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return,” she said in a written statement Thursday night. She emphasized that the killing was undertaken “without the consultation of the Congress.” She demanded, “The full Congress must be immediately briefed on this serious situation and on the next steps under consideration by the Administration, including the significant escalation of the deployment of additional troops to the region.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/trump-has-raised-strategic-incoherence-to-new-levels-with-soleimani-s-killing/ar-BBYAnFe?ocid=msn360
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