Democrats swiftly condemned President Trump for responding with deadly force against Iran for attacks on Americans in Iraq.
Former Vice President Joe Biden said that Trump, who on Thursday ordered an air strike to take out a dangerous Iranian general, “just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said “this reckless move escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict.” Sen. Bernie Sanders said, “Trump promised to end endless wars, but this action puts us on the path to another one.”
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) got in on the act, too, saying the Trump did not have congressional authorization and warned the airstrike could et off a “potentially massive regional war.”
Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also wrote several posts on Twitter.
“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?” he wrote.
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
Then he wrote: “No one can claim to know with certainty what happens next. But the neocons thumping their chest tonight should recall that the worst mistakes global powers make are when they strike militarily in complicated places with few friends, with no consideration of the consequences.”
No one can claim to know with certainty what happens next.
But the neocons thumping their chest tonight should recall that the worst mistakes global powers make are when they strike militarily in complicated places with few friends, with no consideration of the consequences.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 3, 2020
But then Murphy made the mistake of going on CNN with Major Gen. James A. “Spider” Marks [Ret.], a military analyst on the liberal network.
The general ripped Murphy for rushing to judgment on the airstrike, noting that Commander Qasem Soleimani of Iranian Quds Force was “brazenly” traveling around Baghdad on Thursday after orchestrating attacks that killed an American contractor and threatened personnel at the U.S. embassy.
“What I would say to Senator Murphy is, ‘Why don’t you just be quiet?'” Marks said.
“Look, when has Iran ever demonstrated self-restraint? I mean, that’s the question I have. So, is the world more dangerous today? Maybe it’s more dangerous, but when has it not been dangerous? When have we not been a target of a regime like exists in Tehran? I mean, it happens as a matter of routine,” the general said.
Mark said taking out Soleimani was necessary — and the chance to do so arose quickly.
“This opportunity presented itself and I’m certain what happened was the president made the determination ‘let’s pull the trigger now,’” Mark said, calling it “naive” for Soleimani to think he could travel freely in Baghdad after Iran-backed aggression.
“And I would say it’s not causally linked to what occurred at the U.S. Embassy a few days before, other than he happened to be there checking up on what was taking place,” Mark added.
