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World News See other World News Articles Title: The Trump team’s increasingly jumbled case for striking Qasem Soleimani Iran willing to share black boxes, denies hostile act House votes to limit Trump's military actions on Iran It has been nearly a week since the killing of Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, and the justification for the strike is still clear as mud. The Trump administration initially said Soleimani was planning “imminent” attacks on Americans and U.S. interests in the Middle East, but it hasn’t provided much in the way of elaboration. It has since oscillated between pointing to the imminence of such attacks and suggesting that the strike was retaliatory for what Soleimani had already done. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declined to say whether the attacks were days or weeks away. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, unambiguously endorsed the idea of imminent attacks, but he also said the intelligence didn’t “exactly say who, what, when, where.” And now, in the past 24 hours, it has become even more opaque. Subscribe to the Post Most newsletter: Today’s most popular stories on The Washington Post Coming out of a private briefing on the subject Wednesday, Republican Sens. Mike Lee (Utah) and Rand Paul (Ky.) decried the lack of information. Lee called it “probably the worst briefing I have seen, at least on a military issue,” and said the administration had “not really” done anything to establish the imminence of the attacks. Paul added: “I didn’t learn anything in the hearing that I hadn’t seen in a newspaper already. None of it was overwhelming that X was going to happen.” Sen. James E. Risch (R-Idaho), in contrast, called it “one of the best briefings I’ve had since I’ve been here in the United States Congress.” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) called it “a compelling briefing” and said it was unthinkable that anyone wouldn’t support the strike based on the information presented. Slide 1 of 50: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., walks to meet with reporters following escalation of tensions this week between the U.S. and Iran, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The House plans to vote on a measure limiting President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against Iran as Democratic criticism of the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general intensified. Slide 2 of 50: Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) walks to the House floor on Capitol Hill on January 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. The House is debating restricting President Donald Trump's powers concerning conflict in Iran. Slide 3 of 50: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., waves as he leaves, after a news conference on a measure limiting President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against Iran, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. Slide 4 of 50: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) walks to the House floor on Capitol Hill on January 9, 2020 in Washington, DC. The House is debating restricting President Donald Trump's powers concerning conflict in Iran. 19 Easy Ways To Supplement Social Security Ad Microsoft Slide 5 of 50: Members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council participate in a meeting titled "Maintenance of International Peace and Security" on January 09, 2020 in New York City. Representatives from over 50 nations voiced their concerns about ongoing conflicts in the world including recent tensions between Iran and America. Slide 6 of 50: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres speaks at a UN Security Council meeting titled "Maintenance of International Peace and Security" on January 09, 2020 in New York City. Representatives from over 50 nations voiced their concerns about ongoing conflicts in the world including recent tensions between Iran and America. Slide 7 of 50: Kuwaiti MP Safaa al-Hashem gestures during a parliament session at Kuwait's national assembly in Kuwait City on January 9, 2020. - Kuwait denied reports that the United States had decided to withdraw its troops from the Gulf state, saying the Twitter account of its official news agency had been hacked. Slide 8 of 50: Protesters of President Donald Trump's recent military action in Iraq protest gather across the Chicago River from the Trump Tower Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Chicago. Slide 9 of 50: Anti-war activists take part in a protest organised by 'Answer Coalition' at Times Square following the killing of General Qassem Soleimani, who headed the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force, by a US airstrike in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, on January 8, 2020 in New York, United States. Expert: This Is The #1 Balance Transfer Card Ad Microsoft Slide 10 of 50: South Korean protesters stage a rally to denounce a recent U.S. attack on Iran near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020. U.S. President Donald Trump's vow Wednesday to slap new sanctions on Iran would likely target a broader range of Iranian commercial institutions and government officials, deepening the Persian nation's spiralling economic crisis. Slide 11 of 50: Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, center, walks towards the Senate after briefing members of Congress on last week's targeted killing of Iran's senior military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Slide 12 of 50: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) departs following a briefing on developments with Iran after attacks by Iran on U.S. forces in Iraq, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., January 8, 2020. Slide 13 of 50: Congressional Progressive Caucus members Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., center right, accompanied by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and other members of the Caucus, speaks during a news conference on last week's targeted killing of Iran's senior military commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Capitol Hill, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Slide 14 of 50: Residents look at a crater caused by a missile launched by Iran on U.S.-led coalition forces on the outskirts of Duhok, Iraq, January 8, 2020. 5 Stocks for Building Wealth After 50 Ad Microsoft Slide 15 of 50: This satellite image provided on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, by Middlebury Institute of International Studies and Planet Labs Inc. shows the damage caused from an Iranian missile strike at the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq. Iran's actions were in response to the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Slide 16 of 50: What appears to be new damage at Al Asad air base in Iraq is seen in a satellite picture taken January 8, 2020. Slide 17 of 50: President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the White House on the ballistic missile strike that Iran launched against Iraqi air bases housing U.S. troops, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Washington, as Vice President Mike Pence and others looks on. Slide 18 of 50: 08 January 2020, Rhineland-Palatinate, Ramstein: A US military plane takes off from Ramstein Airbase in dense fog. The Ramstein Airbase is the headquarters of the US Air Force in Europe and acts as an international hub for US troop transfers worldwide. Slide 19 of 50: President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on Iran, at his Mar-a-Lago property, Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, in Palm Beach, Fla. Slide 20 of 50: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York, New York, USA, on 08 January 2020. World markets are reacting to tensions between the United States and Iran. New York Stock Exchange, USA - 08 Jan 2020 Slide 21 of 50: House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., arrives to meet with other House Democrats on the morning following Iranian attacks on bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. Slide 22 of 50: TEHRAN, IRAN - JANUARY 08: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY MANDATORY CREDIT - "IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER PRESS OFFICE / HANDOUT" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addresses participants during a meeting in Tehran, Iran on January 08, 2020. Khamenei said on Wednesday that his country's attack was "a slap in the face of the U.S.," and said the military action is still "not enough." Slide 23 of 50: An explosion is seen following missiles landing at what is believed to be Ain al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, in this still image taken from a video shot on January 8, 2020. Slide 24 of 50: All the lights are on in the windows of the West Wing of the White House after news of a missile attack on an Iraqi air base housing U.S. troops, on Jan. 7, 2020, in Washington. Slide 25 of 50: (File photo) This aerial photo taken from a helicopter shows Ain al-Asad air base in the western Anbar desert, Iraq, on Dec. 29, 2019. An Iraqi general said that security has been beefed up around the Ain al-Asad air base, a sprawling complex that hosts U.S. forces, following a series of attacks. Slide 26 of 50: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, next to State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, left, arrives to speak at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday Jan. 7, 2020. Slide 27 of 50: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., arrives at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday Jan. 7, 2020, as Democrats prepared largely symbolic resolutions under the War Powers Act to limit the president's military actions regarding Iran. Slide 28 of 50: Iranian lawmakers chant slogans as some of them hold posters of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in Iraq in a U.S. drone attack, in an open session of parliament, in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. Iran's parliament has passed an urgent bill declaring the U.S. military's command at the Pentagon in Washington and those acting on its behalf "terrorists," subject to Iranian sanctions. Slide 29 of 50: A U.S. Capitol Police officer and K-9 do a security sweep early Monday, Jan. 6, 2020, as Congress returns to to Washington to face the challenge of fallout from President Donald Trump's military strike in Iraq that killed Iranian official, Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Slide 30 of 50: U.S Army paratroopers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division prepare to board an aircraft bound for the U.S. Central Command area of operations from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S. January 4, 2020. Slide 31 of 50: Equipment for U.S Army paratroopers assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division is loaded onto an aircraft bound for the U.S. Central Command area of operations from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S. January 4, 2020. Slide 32 of 50: Iranian people attend a funeral procession and burial for Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, who was killed in an air strike at Baghdad airport, at his hometown in Kerman, Iran January 7, 2020. Slide 33 of 50: An Indian Shiite Muslim holds a photograph of Gen. Esmail Ghaani, newly appointed commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, as he shouts slogans during an anti-U.S. protest near U.S.embassy in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. Slide 34 of 50: Iranian mourners stand on a bridge during the final stage of funeral processions for slain top general Qasem Soleimani, in his hometown Kerman on January 7, 2020. Slide 35 of 50: This handout picture provided by the Islamic Consultative Assembly News Agency (ICANA) on January 7, 2020 shows Iranian lawmakers raising their hands to vote during a parliamentary session in Tehran. Slide 36 of 50: Iranian mourners gather atop a building during the final stage of funeral processions for slain top general Qasem Soleimani, in his hometown Kerman on January 7, 2020. Slide 37 of 50: A drone photo shows thousands of Iranians attend the funeral ceremony of Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Forces, who was killed in a U.S. drone airstrike in Iraq, in Tehran, Iran on January 06, 2020. Slide 38 of 50: Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway responds to questions from members of the news media regarding the death of Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Lieutenant general and commander of the Quds Force Qasem Soleimani and US relations with Iran in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, in Washington, DC, 06 January 2020. Slide 39 of 50: Coffins of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and others who were killed in Iraq by a U.S. drone strike, are carried on a truck surrounded by mourners during a funeral procession at the Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) square in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. Slide 40 of 50: Mourners walk back from a funeral ceremony for Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and his comrades, who were killed in Iraq in a U.S. drone attack on Friday, passing a satirical drawing of the Statue of Liberty painted on the wall of the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. Slide 41 of 50: In this photo released by the official website of the Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, fourth from left, leads a prayer over the coffins of Gen. Qassem Soleimani and his comrades, who were killed in Iraq in a U.S. drone strike on Friday, at the Tehran University campus, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) Slide 42 of 50: Army cadets attend a funeral ceremony for Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, shown in posters, and his comrades, who were killed in Iraq in a U.S. drone strike on Friday, at the Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) square in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Slide 43 of 50: Mourners attend a funeral ceremony for Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani and his comrades, who were killed in Iraq in a U.S. drone strike on Friday, at the Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) square. in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Jan. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Slide 44 of 50: A handout photo made available by the Iranian Parliament officials news agency shows Iranian lawmakers chanting 'death to America' while raising their clenched fists during a parliament session Tehran, Iran, 05 January 2020. The Pentagon announced that Iran's Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed on 03 January 2020 following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport. The attack comes amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. Slide 45 of 50: Iranians gather around a vehicle carrying the coffins of slain major general Qassem Soleimani and others as they pay homage in the northeastern city of Mashhad on January 5, 2020. - The air strike was ordered by US President Donald Trump, who said the Iranian general had been planning an "imminent" attack on US diplomats and the roughly 5,200 American troops deployed in Baghdad. Soleimani's assassination ratcheted up tensions between the arch-enemies and sparked fears of a new war in the Middle East. Slide 46 of 50: The representative of the office of the Supreme Leader of Iran in Russia, Hojat-ol-Islam Saber Akbari Jeddi (L), and Iran's new ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, during a press briefing at the embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Moscow in connection with the death of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani; Soleimani was killed in an airstrike by US drones near Baghdad, Iraq, on 3 January 2020, amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States; Iran's diplomatic missions around the world fly flags at half mast to mourn the death of Soleimani. Slide 47 of 50: A handout photo made available by Iranian Presidential Office shows Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) welcomes Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani (L) in Tehran, Iran, 04 January 2020. Al-Thani's visit comes a day after Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' elite Quds Force, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis, the deputy head of Iraq's Muslim Shiite militia Hashd al-Shaabi, along with six others were killed in a US drone strike at the Baghdad international airport on 03 January 2020. Slide 48 of 50: Protesters demonstrate close to the US embassy in Berlin, Germany, 04 January 2020. Iran's Quds Force leader Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed on 03 January 2020 following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport. The attack comes amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. Slide 49 of 50: Mourners surround a car carrying the coffin of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, killed alongside Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a US air strike, during a funeral procession in Kadhimiya, a Shiite pilgrimage district of Baghdad, on January 4, 2020. - Thousands of Iraqis chanting "Death to America" joined the funeral procession Saturday for Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, both killed in a US air strike. The cortege set off around Kadhimiya, a Shiite pilgrimage district of Baghdad, before heading to the Green Zone government and diplomatic district where a state funeral was to be held attended by top dignitaries. In all, 10 people -- five Iraqis and five Iranians -- were killed in Friday morning's US strike on their motorcade just outside Baghdad airport. (Photo by SABAH ARAR / AFP) (Photo by SABAH ARAR/AFP via Getty Images) Slide 50 of 50: Editorial use only. HANDOUT /NO SALES Mandatory Credit: Photo by IRAN PRESIDENT OFFICE HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (10517703d) A handout photo made available by the Office of the Iranian President shows Iranian president Hassan Rouhani (L) hunting Soleimani's son as he meets with the family of late Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Lieutenant general and commander of the Quds Force Qasem Soleimani at his home in Tehran, Iran, 04 January 2020. The Pentagon announced that Iran's Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed on 03 January 2020 following a US airstrike at Baghdad's international airport. The attack comes amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington. Top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani killed in US airstrike in Baghdad, Tehran, Iran Islamic Republic Of - 04 Jan 2020 Slide 1 of 50: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., walks to meet with reporters following escalation of tensions this week between the U.S. and Iran, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The House plans to vote on a measure limiting President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against Iran as Democratic criticism of the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general intensified. Full screen 1/50 SLIDES © J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., walks to meet with reporters following escalation of tensions this week between the U.S. and Iran, on Jan. 9 on Capitol Hill in Washington. The House approved a non-binding resolution aimed at limiting Trump's military action against Iran. Slideshow by Photo Services It’s important to note that the libertarian-minded Lee and Paul are big proponents of congressional authorization for military action, so it’s perhaps not surprising that they would be some of the more difficult gets for the administration on this subject. But that’s still two Republican senators who say a GOP administration just hasn’t provided the goods — or anything close. With that as the backdrop Thursday, President Trump and Vice President Pence piled on the uncertainty. Appearing on the “Today” show, Pence said the Trump administration did not share some of the most important information because of its sensitivity. “Some of the most compelling evidence that Qasem Soleimani was preparing an imminent attack against American forces and American personnel also represents some of the most sensitive intelligence that we have,” Pence told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie. “It could compromise those sources and methods.” Pence added on Fox News that “we’re simply not able to share with every member of the House and Senate the intelligence that supported the president’s decision to take out Qasem Soleimani,” but “I can assure your viewers that there was — there was a threat of an imminent attack.” So to recap: The White House is now saying that the information provided to lawmakers indeed may not have been as compelling as it could have been, but that Congress and the American people just need to trust that it’s there. And then, to top it all off, Trump came out around noon on Thursday and disclosed one of Soleimani’s alleged plots: to blow up a U.S. embassy. “We did it because they were looking to blow up our embassy,” Trump said. “We also did it for other reasons that were very obvious.” Trump has the ability to declassify anything he wants to, but it was a curious sudden disclosure for an administration that had for six days resisted saying much of anything. It’s also difficult to believe that lawmakers who were told about a potential embassy attack in any real detail would say it was a nothingburger — no matter their political leanings. As The Post’s Shane Harris noted, the idea that such information can’t be shared with Congress is also difficult to swallow. Even if an administration doesn’t share all the information widely with Congress for fear of leaks, it generally shares highly classified information with a smaller group of high-ranking lawmakers who are experienced in intelligence matters. At the same time, the White House has already frozen out Democratic members of the “Gang of Eight” by not informing them of the attack in advance, as is normal practice. And Trump has sent signals that perhaps he doesn’t intend to be terribly forthcoming with the Democrats in the group, retweeting a claim from conservative provocateur Dinesh D’Souza that sharing such information with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) would be akin to sharing it with the Iranians. Looming over all of it are the circumstances in which the strike was launched. Trump’s advisers reportedly delivered the president options to deal with an escalating situation with Iran, and killing Soleimani was the most extreme one. Such an option is generally used to push the president toward a more moderate course of action. Trump, though, chose the extreme one. If the attacks were so imminent and the strike so necessary, why was that labeled the extreme option? Given that Trump’s unwieldy actions and declarations often force those around him to struggle to justify them after the fact, it’s not illogical to suspect a similar effort afoot here. That would sure explain the lack of transparency — even with Congress — and the conflicting signals. Soleimani has indeed been estimated to have been behind the killing of hundreds of Americans, so the idea that he might be planning more such operations — especially at a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Iran — is certainly logical. That appears to be why the administration is emphasizing what he has already done. But this was sold as something that was imminent, and there are plenty of indications that the information as we understand it might not be overly specific. Milley’s comments certainly indicated as much, and Lee and Paul say that basically no new information has been shared with them to back up that claim. It’s difficult to believe there isn’t more that could be shared here — at least with a limited group of lawmakers — that could calm fears about the United States using yet another pretext for military action in the Middle East, as it did in Iraq. But for now, the Trump administration is doing a great job of seeding doubts. In the hours ahead, a big question will be whether top administration officials confirm and expand upon his embassy claim. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: Ada (#0)
Ada, or whomever you are, noone (no one) is going to read this tripe !
http://ustvgo.tv/one-america-news-network/ "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. " The best thing about old age is that it doesn't last forever.
Unreadable - formatting is our friend, otherwise, the article was loon-speak.
“The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable.” ~ H. L. Mencken
The headline says it all. Read further at your own risk.
A.D.A is an anti democratic America paper factory that churns out Pap, Pablum and Poop. Most of the Poop turns up here in form of Horseshit.
Thanks for the accurate analysis ... Ada hasn't always been like the current Ada.
http://ustvgo.tv/one-america-news-network/ "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. " The best thing about old age is that it doesn't last forever.
You are not supposed to read it. Its some sort of slide show.
I don't mind. And I forgive Cyni because he doesn't really read an article before proclaiming, "bullshit".
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