Trump says 'it doesn't really matter' if Iranian general posed an imminent threat

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Trump says ‘it doesn’t really matter’ if Iranian general posed an imminent threat

By Karen DeYoung
1/13/2020, 5:12:00 p.m.

President Trump added to the controversy over his administration’s justification for the killing of an Iranian general, saying Monday that “it doesn’t really matter” whether it was in response to an imminent threat to the United States.

In a tweet, Trump criticized Democrats for trying to determine whether Iranian attacks the administration has said were planned by Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani against U.S. targets were imminent.

“It doesn’t really matter because of his horrible past,” Trump wrote. The administration has held Soleimani, as head of Iran’s Quds Force, responsible for orchestrating Iran’s use of proxy forces in terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, and the deaths of hundreds of U.S. soldiers over the years, long before the threat it has said justified the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike that killed him.

In a separate tweet, Trump emphasized Soleimani’s past actions rather than the threat of future attacks. “The Democrats and Fake News are trying to make terrorist Soleimani into a wonderful guy, only because I did what should have been done for 20 years,” he wrote.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/trump-says-it-doesnt-really-matter-if-iranian-general-posed-an-imminent-threat/2020/01/13/c9f7ea1c-362e-11ea-9541-9107303481a4_story.html

[RockRaven]

1. So... Admitting his initial lie is in the process of being thoroughly exposed as such...

no surprise there.

[tulipsandroses]

2. Oh really? Horrible past you say? Who's next? Your buddies Vlad, Kim?

If that's the bar we are setting... well,

[dweller]

3. iow..

it wasn't an imminent threat, telegraphs the traitor ...



✌🏼

[C_U_L8R]

4. Assassination matters.

And Trump should worry that he'll be held responsible.

[alwaysinasnit]

5. If that was the rationale, then why didn't he assassinate Soleimani sooner? Why wait 3 years?

[PSPS]

6. Because, 3 years ago, he hadn't been impeached yet

[alwaysinasnit]

8. How silly of me.

[TomSlick]

7. Except it really does matter.

Two things are required for the strike to be preemptive self-defense: (1) An imminent threat and (2) the strike would stop the imminent threat. If there is no imminent threat, it is simply an assassination and a violation of international law and Congressional authority.

The reason Trump lied about the imminent threat is because had been told it was important.

[PSPS]

9. Same script as always

I didn't do it.
I didn't do it but, even if I did, it's not illegal
I did do it but it's not illegal
I did do it and, if you think it's illegal, you can't do anything about it
You can't convict me because, if the president does it, it's not illegal
You can't convict me because Barr at Justice won't prosecute anyway
You can't remove me from office because Moscow Mitch's duma will acquit me

[Phoenix61]

11. He's consistent as hell ain't he? nt

[tblue37]

10. IOW: "So I lied. Whaddaya gonna do about it?" nt