Shadow Secretary of State Pelosi on the killing of Soleimani [With Comment by John] powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/… via @powerlineUS
@powerlineUS The attack on Soleimani occurred in Iraq, not Iran. This is important “because American troops are lawfully in Iraq, there by congressional authorization and with the permission of the Iraqi government. . . [and] have a right of self-defense.”
@powerlineUS The true “act of war” was thus Iran’s — by putting one of its commanders, boots on the ground, in Iraq to assist in planning and directing attacks on U.S. forces. America is entitled to respond to that threat.
@powerlineUS Tensions were escalating already due to previous Iranian attacks, and were bound to escalate further if/when Soleimani carried out the new attacks he apparently was in Iraq to orchestrate. The U.S. could not have failed to respond to what Soleimani was planning.
@powerlineUS The US through its sanctions, has placed Iran in a box. The regime is responding with attacks on US interests, and troops. In the face of this aggression, Trump’s alternatives are to sit back and take it, to respond weakly, or to respond in a way that shows he means business.
@powerlineUS Pelosi’s real quarrel is with Trump’s decision to reject President Obama’s nuclear deal and to place tough sanctions on Iran. I agree with Trump’s decision, but reasonable people can disagree with it.
@powerlineUS However, in view of Pelosi’s whining about lack of congressional involvement, it’s worth noting that Obama did not seek ratification of his deal as a treaty. If he had, and if the Senate had ratified the treaty, Trump would have been bound by it.
@powerlineUS Obama had the option of seeking Senate ratification of the Iran deal as a treaty. Trump did not have the realistic option of seeking congressional authorization to have Suleimani killed.
