Sen. Chris Murphy expressed dismay that the United States killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani without first obtaining congressional approval.
“Soleimani was an enemy of the United States,” the Connecticut Democrat tweeted Thursday night. “That’s not a question. The question is this — as reports suggest, did America just assassinate, without any congressional authorization, the second most powerful person in Iran, knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war?”
Soleimani was an enemy of the United States. That’s not a question.
The question is this – as reports suggest, did America just assassinate, without any congressional authorization, the second most powerful person in Iran, knowingly setting off a potential massive regional war?
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 3, 2020
Soleimani, 62, was killed Thursday in an airstrike near Baghdad International Airport along with Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, head of the Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces. The apparent drone strike came hours after Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that U.S. forces would preemptively hit Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria if the paramilitary groups planned further attacks against U.S. bases or personnel.
Murphy attacked President Trump last week for not responding forcefully enough to attacks by Iranian-backed forces on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. “The attack on our embassy in Baghdad is horrifying but predictable,” he wrote. “Trump has rendered America impotent in the Middle East. No one fears us, no one listens to us. America has been reduced to huddling in safe rooms, hoping the bad guys will go away. What a disgrace.”
The attack on our embassy in Baghdad is horrifying but predictable.
Trump has rendered America impotent in the Middle East. No one fears us, no one listens to us.
America has been reduced to huddling in safe rooms, hoping the bad guys will go away.
What a disgrace.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 31, 2019
UPDATE: Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse later tore into Murphy, tweeting, “This tweet is simply drunk partisanship. Gen. Soleimani has killed hundreds and hundreds of Americans, and was actively plotting more. This commander-in-chief — any C-in-C. — has an obligation to defend America by killing this bastard.”
This tweet is simply drunk partisanship. Gen. Soleimani has killed hundreds and hundreds of Americans, and was actively plotting more. This commander-in-chief — any C-in-C. — has an obligation to defend America by killing this bastard. https://t.co/eQmiCgegxS
— Senator Ben Sasse (@SenSasse) January 3, 2020
