Pelosi claims Trump not authorized to attack Iranian leader

No one in Washington can deny the fact that Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, as the second most powerful man in Iran next to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, orchestrated the regime's terrorist-fueled effort to expand its Islamic revolution throughout the Middle East for the past four decades.

But Republicans and Democrats are as divided as ever in response to President Trump's decision to kill him in an airstrike late Thursday as he deplaned in Baghdad.

Democrats complain they were not consulted, and they fear the U.S. could be pulled into another "endless war."

As Iran vowed "harsh retaliation," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explained in an interview Friday morning that the aim of the strike was to send a message to Tehran along with preventing an "imminent attack" by Soleimani's forces.

"I think the Iranian leadership understands President Trump will take action," he told "Fox & Friends."

"We made very clear that these responses would be swift and decisive," Pompeo said. "We have now demonstrated that."

The strike came after pro-Iran militia attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told "Fox & Friends" on Friday the strike on Soleimani was "a pre-emptive attack to let everyone know from North Korea, just anyone else, that if you come after Americans on President Trump’s watch — you do so at your peril."

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., pointed out that Soleimani "masterminded Iran's reign of terror for decades, including the deaths of hundreds of Americans."

On the floor of the Senate on Friday, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell supported the president's decision, saying, "Iran's master terrorist is dead."

"For too long, this evil man operated without constraint, and countless innocents have suffered for it," he said. "Now his terrorist leadership has been ended."

U.S. officials said they believed imminent attacks planned by Soleimani could have killed hundreds.

The U.S. State Department estimated last year that 608 Americans have been killed by Iranian proxies in Iraq since 2003. In addition, Soleimani assisted Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad in the killing of hundreds of thousands of people in the Syrian civil war, backed Houthis in Yemen’s civil war and recently spearheaded the killing of hundreds of Iraqis protesting Iranian influence in their country.

However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi complained in a statement Thursday night that the administration conducted the attack without an authorization of military force and without consultation of Congress.

"American leaders' highest priority is to protect American lives and interests. But we cannot put the lives of American servicemembers, diplomats and others further at risk by engaging in provocative and disproportionate actions," she said. "Tonight's airstrike risks provoking further dangerous escalation of violence. America — and the world — cannot afford to have tensions escalate to the point of no return."

But Pelosi's claim that the strike was not authorized is "flat out wrong," pointed out National Review senior political correspondent Jim Geraghty.

"The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps was designated a terrorist group in April. This was not a strike in Iran, it was a strike in Iraq," he wrote. "There is no doubt about Soleimani's connection to attacks on Americans, both recently and going back years. Literally, the Iran-backed militiamen who attacked the U.S. Embassy Baghdad wrote 'Soleimani is our leader' on the wall."

And under the authorization of military force passed by Congress in 2001, Geraghty argued, "the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons."

A statement from President @realDonaldTrump: pic.twitter.com/Jfy4GCLdif

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2020

Kaine: 'Yet another unnecessary war'

Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., echoed the belief of many Democrats that Trump's decision to pull out of the Obama-crafted Iran nuclear deal has made America less safe. He called on Congress to "stop President Trump from entangling America in yet another unnecessary war in the Middle East."

"As I have warned for years, Trump’s decision to tear up a diplomatic deal that was working and resume escalating aggressions with Iran has brought us to the brink of another war in the Middle East," Kaine said.

"Qassem Soleimani was a despicable killer, but this drastic escalation of hostilities – waging a military attack on Iraqi soil over the objections of that country and without congressional authorization – will increase the threat to American troops, diplomats, and families in the region."

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., charged Trump ordered the attack to divert attention from the Democrats' partisan impeachment.

"So what if Trump wants war, knows this leads to war and needs the distraction? Real question is, will those with congressional authority step in and stop him?” she wrote on Twitter. "I know I will."

Fellow Muslim and freshman Democratic Congress member Rashida Tlaib of Michigan took a similar stance.

"We cannot stay silent as this lawless President recklessly moves us closer to yet another unnecessary war that puts innocent lives at risk at home & across the globe," Tlaib tweeted. "Congress alone has the authority to declare war, & we must reclaim our responsibility & say no to war with Iran."

Graham: Iran 'about to unleash holy hell'

Sen. Graham, however, insisted Trump made the right decision based on the information he had.

"To all those Democrats criticizing the President, I was aware of what his options were — they were about to unleash holy hell on our people in Iraq and throughout the region and the president decisively took action," the Republican senator said.

Fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, however, urged caution, writing on Twitter that the question is "whether the assassination of Soleimani will expand the war to endanger the lives of every American soldier or diplomat in the Middle East."

"If we are to go to war w/ Iran the Constitution dictates that we declare war," he said. "A war without a Congressional declaration is a recipe for feckless intermittent eruptions of violence w/ no clear mission for our soldiers. Our young men and women in the armed services deserve better."

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