Congressman Ed Case Issues Statement on Iran Crisis
Honolulu, HI,
January 8, 2020
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Nestor Garcia
(2029457189)
The statement comes after the President issued an order for a drone strike that killed Iranian General Soleimani on January 3, 2020 at Baghdad Airport, and the subsequent ballistic missile attack on two bases where American military are located in Iraq.
“There’s no mourning the death of an avowed and brutal enemy of our country and our friends. “But did that result justify these means? Was there a better way to achieve our overall goals with Iran and the Middle East with less overall risk? “Was there any good reason why Congress was not even consulted in advance, much less authorize this action, as required by the spirit if not the letter of the law? “When and under what circumstances should this or any other President be able to order the killing of a senior military and political leader of this or any other country, especially without Congress’ participation? “What specific analysis of the consequences of this action and of our ability to address them was completed in advance? Soleimani certainly contributed to a dangerous world, but is it more or less dangerous with him gone in this fashion? “We can welcome his demise, but we should not and cannot avoid these questions. We can welcome no deaths in Iran’s missile strikes today, but we cannot pretend that this ends things for Iran and its proxies. “As a Member of Congress with my own constitutional duties, if I had the information with which to make a fully informed judgment on these questions, I might agree with the President’s actions and accept the consequences as necessary. But instead the Administration has thus far refused to provide Congress with any reasoned and defensible answers to these questions. “In doing so, the President once again demonstrates that he has no understanding of Congress’ constitutional role or else simply chooses to ignore it. Either way, that is highly dangerous to our country both today and in other future circumstances. “Without real answers from the President, I fear that this was a rash action to roll the dice on results with far-flung and unpredictable consequences that will be with our country and world for decades.”
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