LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A U.S. airstrike on Thursday that killed a top Iranian official and sparked tension and outrage is getting reaction from state representatives for Kentucky and Indiana. Gen. Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds force, was killed Thursday in the airstrike near the Baghdad airport.
Friday, the U.S. announced it is sending more troops to the Middle East as Iran has vowed “harsh retaliation” for the U.S. airstrike and Soleimani's death. Defense officials said the troops are from the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. They are in addition to about 700 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne who deployed to Kuwait earlier this week after the storming of the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad by Iran-backed militiamen and their supporters.
The U.S. has also ordered its citizens to leave Iraq and closed the embassy in Baghdad.
Kentucky and Indiana representatives have released the following statements regarding the airstrike:
Senator Mitch McConnell: "This morning, Iran’s master terrorist is dead. ‘The architect and chief engineer for the world’s most active state sponsor of terrorism has been removed from the battlefield at the hand of the United States military. ‘No man alive was more directly responsible for the deaths of more American servicemembers than Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the Quds Force within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. ‘Soleimani’s schemes and his agents killed hundreds of American service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. He personally oversaw the state-sponsored terrorism that Iran used to kill our sons and daughters. ‘And as we’ve seen in recent days and weeks, he and his terrorists posed an ongoing and growing threat to American lives and American interests. ‘Soleimani made it his life’s work to take the Iranian revolutionary call for “death to America” and “death to Israel” and turn them into action. ‘But this terrorist mastermind was not just a threat to the United States and Israel. For more than a decade he masterminded Iran’s malevolent and destabilizing work throughout the entire Middle East. He created, sustained, and directed terrorist proxies everywhere from Yemen to Iraq to Syria to Lebanon. ‘Innocents were killed. These sovereign countries were destabilized."
"In Syria, this leading terrorist and his agents acted as strategists, enablers, and accomplices to Bashar al-Assad’s brutal repression and slaughter of the Syrian people. ‘In Iraq, his violence expanded Iran’s influence at the expense of Iraqis themselves. His dark, sectarian vision disenfranchised countless Sunni Arabs and paved the way for the rise of ISIS. ‘And with ISIS largely defeated, Soleimani and his agents again turned their sights on controlling the Iraqi people, who through massive protests are rejecting not only a corrupt government but also Iran’s influence over it. And once again, there were Iran and its proxies, facilitating violence against these peaceful protesters. For too long, this evil man operated without constraint, and countless innocents have suffered for it. Now his terrorist leadership has been ended. ‘Now — predictably enough, in this political environment — the operation that led to Soleimani’s death may prove controversial or divisive. ‘Although I anticipate and welcome a debate about America’s interests and foreign policy in the Middle East, I recommend that all senators wait to review the facts and hear from the administration before passing much public judgment on this operation and its potential consequences. ‘The administration will be briefing staff today on the situation in Iraq. We are working to arrange a classified briefing for all senators early next week."
"For my part, I have spoken to the Secretary of Defense and I am encouraged by the steps the U.S. military is taking to defend American personnel and interests from a growing Iranian threat. I know I speak for the entire Senate when I say that my prayers are with all American diplomats, personnel, and brave servicemembers serving in Iraq and the Middle East. ‘I am grateful for their courageous service to protect our nation. ‘Right from the outset of this new year, it is already clear that 2020 will require the Senate and our whole nation to redouble our resolve to keep America safe in this troubled world."
John Yarmuth: “I am deeply concerned by President Trump’s rapid escalation of hostilities with Iran and the lack of any discernible concern for the consequences. Qasem Soleimani was an enemy of the United States, but the decision to assassinate him without the consultation, much less authorization of Congress, and without support from our allies shows this not to be part of a deliberate strategy but the whim of an impetuous commander-in-chief. Iran has made it clear that they will retaliate. The Trump administration must come before Congress to provide an explanation of what has happened thus far, what they believe might warrant further military action, and why they have brought us to the precipice of yet another deadly, open-ended war in the Middle East. Anything less would be a rejection of our Constitution and the foundation of our republic. I call on my Republican colleagues to stop looking the other way and join Democrats in fulfilling our constitutional obligation of ensuring our nation has a full understanding of President Trump’s apparent push toward war.”
U.S. Senator Mike Braun: “President Trump made the courageous decision to kill Qassim Suleimani, who was the leader of Iran’s violence against the United States that was directly responsible for killing American soldiers through IEDs for over a decade and was planning future attacks against American citizens throughout the Middle East. Iran has been one of America’s greatest enemies and I’m proud that President Trump is protecting our country and our allies.”
U.S. Senator Todd Young: “Qasem Soleimani was a terrorist mastermind who was responsible for the murder of hundreds of Americans. Under his command, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps brought death and destruction across the Middle East — and beyond. Last night, justice was delivered. The President’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran has always been about pushing Iran’s leaders, primarily through economic means, to change their behavior and stop exporting terror around the globe. Iran failed to change, and mass murderer Soleimani met his fate. I hope this strike will finally wake up the Ayatollah and the outlaw regime in Tehran. End the terror and focus on improving the lives of the Iranian people by embracing peace. As the Administration considers the next steps from here, Congress must be involved in that debate.”
Kelly Mitchell candidate for Indiana's Fifth Congressional District: "The first priority of the federal government is to keep Americans safe at home and abroad. General Soleimani, the world’s leading terrorist, is responsible for thousands of deaths including hundreds of American soldiers, and he was planning more. The decisive action by President Trump and successful mission by our courageous U.S. military brought Soleimani to justice, a deserved fate for his murderous actions. I trust that the administration will continue engaging with our allies in the region to monitor the situation and make clear to adversaries that attacks against U.S. facilities and personnel will not go unanswered."
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