Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Valley Congressmen Split on Trump Decision to Kill Iranian General
NANCY WEBSITE HEADSHOT 1
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 5 years ago on
January 4, 2020

Share

Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani helped oversee Iran’s policy of state-sponsored terrorism that killed and injured thousands of people in the Mideast, and his death from a U.S drone strike early Friday was justified — and long overdue, U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes said Friday.

“Iran better not do anything more or we will strike you again. I mean, this guy got away with this for way too long.”U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes
Photo of Devin Nunes
U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes
But U.S. Rep. Jim Costa said other Americans may now be in “grave danger” after President Donald Trump authorized the general’s death.
And U.S. Rep. TJ Cox said the president must consult with Congress before taking any further action in the Middle East, where tensions are ratcheting ever higher.
Perhaps not surprisingly, support or opposition for Trump’s decision fell along party lines.

Praise or Pan? It’s Political

Nunes, R-Tulare — a longtime Trump supporter and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee — said in an interview on KMJ Radio that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force that Soleimani commanded had moved explosive devices to Iraq during the Gulf War and was responsible for “probably two-thirds” of the U.S. military casualties there. Nunes did not respond to an interview request from GV Wire.
Nunes criticized Democrats for not supporting the president’s decision to kill Soleimani, with some terming it an “assassination.”
“The fact that the Democrats would not be out there saying, thank God — No. 1, thank God this guy is gone. No. 2, Iran better not do anything more or we will strike you again,” Nunes said. “I mean, this guy got away with this for way too long.”

‘Enemy of the United States’

Official congressional portrait of Jim Costa
U.S. Rep. Jim Costa
“He was an enemy of the United States … who deserved to be brought to justice.”U.S. Rep. Jim Costa
Costa, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement that Soleimani was correctly characterized as a terrorist who was responsible for many deaths and other casualties around the world. “He was an enemy of the United States … who deserved to be brought to justice,” said Costa, D-Fresno.
But Trump’s decision was made unilaterally without the advance knowledge of U.S. allies in the Mideast and Europe, and apparently without thought for long-term diplomatic solutions, Costa said.
“Our priority is to protect the lives of Americans, many of who are now in grave danger from this action by the President,” Costa said.
“The president has no option but to consult Congress before he takes any other actions, because we must de-escalate before this becomes a full-blown war.”U.S. Rep. TJ Cox
U.S. Rep. TJ Cox

Congress Must Not Be Bypassed

Cox said partisan politics are not the issue. The Trump administration has thus far not provided Congress with either clear objectives or alternatives to an escalation of military force, which also weren’t provided the last time America was “drawn into an unending war,” the Fresno Democrat said in a statement.
He noted that sailors from Lemoore Naval Air Station and other military personnel from the Valley could wind up on the front lines of combat.
“For their safety and for the safety of all Americans, Congress must authorize the use of force when a president brings us to the brink of war,” Cox said. “The president has no option but to consult Congress before he takes any other actions, because we must de-escalate before this becomes a full-blown war.”

Analysis of US Killing of Soleimani

Retired FBI agent and Middle East legal attaché Tom Knowles of Fresno said that the U.S. killing of Soleimani, 62, was an appropriate response by the Trump administration — if the intelligence that said Soleimani planned to kill Americans was correct.
“We, as citizens, have to believe our intelligence is accurate,” Knowles said. “If it’s true, this was the appropriate message to send. It’s a message that says to Iran and anyone filling (Soleimani’s) position that they would have to think twice about attacking us.”
However, Knowles warned that it would be a mistake to underestimate “the influence and sphere” of the Iranian government in the Middle East.
“From the counter-terrorism side, there’s always been a big concern about a direct confrontation with Iran because of the reach of Hezbollah and the number of sleeper Hezbollah members around the world,” he said. “The unknown question is whether those sleeper members who continue to financially and mentally support Hezbollah would, if ordered, engage locally (in terrorism).”

More Troops Heading to Mideast

Photo of a boy holding a portrait of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in the U.S. airstrike in Iraq
A boy carries a portrait of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, prior to the Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, Friday Jan. 3, 2020. Iran has vowed “harsh retaliation” for the U.S. airstrike near Baghdad’s airport that killed Tehran’s top general and the architect of its interventions across the Middle East, as tensions soared in the wake of the targeted killing. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Thousands of additional U.S. troops are heading to the Mideast after Soleimani, 62, and nine others were killed Friday morning in an attack on his convoy at the Baghdad International Airport.
Soleimani was commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and described as among the most important leaders of Iran, second only to the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The U.S. Department of Defense said Soleimani was killed because he was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the Mideast region. He also was responsible for a Dec. 27 rocket attack at a coalition base in Iraq that killed an American contractor and wounded other Americans and Iraqis and for the attack earlier this week on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, the Defense Department said.

Americans Told to Leave Iraq

The embassy, which was closed after the attack, on Friday urged all American citizens to depart Iraq immediately.
Meanwhile, the head of the Washington, D.C.-based National Iranian American Council said Soleimani’s killing is an “assassination” that puts the region, and the world, at even greater risk of violence.
Hardliners in Tehran will see it as an act of war and argue forcefully for Iran to respond with violence, NIAC President Jamal Abdi said. While acknowledging that Soleimani bore responsibility for many deaths — he was accused of supporting terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel and Houthi rebels in Yemen — “yet that is neither an authorization for a war nor a just cause for starting one,” Abdi said in a statement.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Florida State Gunman Used Deputy Mom’s Former Service Weapon, Authorities Say

DON'T MISS

Giants Befuddled by Sánchez’s Changeup in Loss to the Phillies

DON'T MISS

Trump Officials’ Defiance Over Abrego Garcia’s Deportation Is ‘Shocking,’ Appeals Court Says

DON'T MISS

Jane Fonda Packs the Saroyan Theatre, Delivers an Empowering Message

DON'T MISS

AOC Emerges as Top Democratic White House Contender for 2028

DON'T MISS

Why Fresno Unified Tried to Keep Superintendent Search Secret

DON'T MISS

White House Eyes Overhaul of Federal Housing Aid to the Poor

DON'T MISS

Dems Step Up Trump Resistance as Base Hungers for More of a Fight

DON'T MISS

2 Killed and 5 Hurt in Florida State University Shooting; Gunman in Custody

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified Trustees Passed Over a National Superintendent of the Year

UP NEXT

2 Killed and 5 Hurt in Florida State University Shooting; Gunman in Custody

UP NEXT

Hamas Ready to Release All Remaining Hostages for End to Gaza War, Hamas’ Gaza Chief Says

UP NEXT

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Trump Plan to End Birthright Citizenship

UP NEXT

More Than 40% of Puerto Rico Customers Without Power After Island-Wide Blackout

UP NEXT

Popular AIs Head-to-Head: OpenAI Beats DeepSeek on Sentence-Level Reasoning

UP NEXT

Al Sharpton Calls Meeting With Target’s CEO Amid DEI Backlash ‘Very Constructive and Candid’

UP NEXT

Former Pentagon Spokesman Tied to Online DEI Purge Was Asked to Resign

UP NEXT

Protest Planned in Clovis Targets the Trump Administration

UP NEXT

The Kings Agree to Hire Scott Perry as General Manager, AP Source Says

UP NEXT

Trump: We Will Have a Trade Deal With China

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

Jane Fonda Packs the Saroyan Theatre, Delivers an Empowering Message

7 hours ago

AOC Emerges as Top Democratic White House Contender for 2028

8 hours ago

Why Fresno Unified Tried to Keep Superintendent Search Secret

8 hours ago

White House Eyes Overhaul of Federal Housing Aid to the Poor

8 hours ago

Dems Step Up Trump Resistance as Base Hungers for More of a Fight

8 hours ago

2 Killed and 5 Hurt in Florida State University Shooting; Gunman in Custody

9 hours ago

Fresno Unified Trustees Passed Over a National Superintendent of the Year

9 hours ago

Hamas Ready to Release All Remaining Hostages for End to Gaza War, Hamas’ Gaza Chief Says

10 hours ago

Ford Recalls More Than 148,000 Vehicles, NHTSA Says

10 hours ago

Supreme Court to Hear Arguments on Trump Plan to End Birthright Citizenship

11 hours ago

Florida State Gunman Used Deputy Mom’s Former Service Weapon, Authorities Say

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The 20-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy opened fire Thursday at Florida State University with his mother’s...

7 hours ago

7 hours ago

Florida State Gunman Used Deputy Mom’s Former Service Weapon, Authorities Say

7 hours ago

Giants Befuddled by Sánchez’s Changeup in Loss to the Phillies

7 hours ago

Trump Officials’ Defiance Over Abrego Garcia’s Deportation Is ‘Shocking,’ Appeals Court Says

7 hours ago

Jane Fonda Packs the Saroyan Theatre, Delivers an Empowering Message

8 hours ago

AOC Emerges as Top Democratic White House Contender for 2028

8 hours ago

Why Fresno Unified Tried to Keep Superintendent Search Secret

8 hours ago

White House Eyes Overhaul of Federal Housing Aid to the Poor

8 hours ago

Dems Step Up Trump Resistance as Base Hungers for More of a Fight

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend