Qasem Suleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, was assassinated on Friday morning, January 7, during a US helicopter attack on a car carrying him near Baghdad airport while accompanied by Abu Mehdi Mohandes, the commander of the Iraqi People’s Mobil Force (Hashed al-Shaabi). The US Department of Defense endorsed the attack and said it was carried out under the “direct order of the President.” As a result, Trump has entered a phase of direct confrontation with Iran and has withdrawn from proxy war.
But what was the reaction of US officials and members of Congress and the Senate, especially the Democratic Party, to the terrorist operation on Iraqi soil, which is an example of aggression on the territory and territory of an independent and UN member state? Initial surveys and statements show that most Democratic politicians have strongly criticized the Trump administration.
For example, Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator from Connecticut, described the operation at Baghdad Airport as “unauthorized” and warned that the (terrorist) operation could ignite a regional war. Murphy wrote in his tweet: “The US government has killed the second most powerful man in Iran without the permission of Congress, while he was aware of the consequences of waging a regional war. The government’s justification for preventing future Iranian attacks (also unacceptable) is that such attacks will ultimately kill more Americans. That should be our biggest concern and fear right now. No one in the world can accurately predict the endpoint. But everyone, especially the neocons, who are happy about terrorist operations, should know that in a complex region and with few allies, military action is one of the biggest mistakes of the great powers. “
Also, Joe Biden, Vice President of Barack Obama and one of the Democratic nominees in the presidential race, who is well-positioned in the polls, has criticized Trump’s tense move, warning that the Iranian government will certainly respond. “Donald Trump threw dynamite into the gunpowder barrel with the assassination of Qasem Suleimani,” he added. James Clapper, a senior US retired commander under the US National Security Service (NSA) under President Obama, has warned about the situation of Americans in the Persian Gulf and West Asia, and emphasized that Iran must take this step. “Trump will react and the situation in the Middle East will be very complicated after the assassination of Suleimani.”
Elliott L. Democratic congressman Engel and Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who plays the leading role in Trump’s impeachment, have strongly condemned Trump’s order to assassinate Qasem Suleimani. Pelosi and Engel emphasized: “The Baghdad airport attack was without Congress’s permission. While America’s first and foremost priority should be to protect the lives and nationalities of Americans and its national interests, the recent act, which was inappropriate and stressful, has actually endangered the lives of American forces and diplomats. “The air strike in Baghdad is accompanied by the risk of provoking dangerous violence.”
Contrary to his earlier predictions and advisers such as Pompeo, Trump’s actions appear to have provoked Iran and increased tensions as well as deteriorating political conditions in Washington a year later.
