Brian Fitzpatrick
Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) on Friday issued a statement in support of the targeting of Qassem Soleimani in Iraq, while his potential opponents in the the upcoming election questioned the wisdom of the action.
President Trump ordered the airstrike in Baghdad on Friday that killed Soleimani, a top general and one of the most powerful men in Iran.
“Qasem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s Quds force, is directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American servicemen and servicewomen,” said Fitzpatrick. “Soleimani perpetuated the Iranian regime’s destabilizing proxy wars across the Middle East and carried out numerous terrorist attacks on behalf of Iran—the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. According to the Defense Department, Soleimani was imminently plotting even more attacks on American servicemen and servicewomen, and therefore the air strike was needed to protect our American soldiers, diplomats, and civilians serving in critical missions in the region.”
Judi Reiss, a Democratic candidate in the 2020 1st congressional district election, demanded more information from the Administration on its longer-term strategy.
Judi Reiss
“I know this story all too well,” said Reiss. “I’ve attended the trials of the terrorists responsible for 9/11 and the death of our son, and I put my name on a lawsuit against Iran to hold them accountable for their role in financing terrorism. Major General Soleimani was a terrorist leader who was very much our enemy and he won’t be missed, but this is a dangerous region of the world where the enemy of my enemy is my friend. President Trump now has an obligation to explain what this ‘imminent threat’ to America was that compelled him to undertake an act of war without congressional approval.”
“The safety and security of our armed forces, as well as our citizens at home and abroad, must come first,” Reiss continued. “Just as importantly, what is the long term plan and strategy going forward? Action – even decisive, well-intentioned action – is not a strategy. And I fear it could even make us less safe.”
Democratic candidate Skylar Hurwitz also questioned the wisdom of targeting the Iranian general.
Skylar Hurwitz
“War must always be a last resort for the United States,” said Hurwitz. “The human cost of battle is simply too great. My generation has lived through our nation’s longest war – and we still haven’t figured out how to completely end it or pay for it. The fact that top members of Congressional foreign policy committees were not briefed prior to the attack on Qasem Soleimani is reprehensible given the near certainty of a retaliatory attack.”
“Brian Fitzpatrick’s recent statement in support of unchecked Presidential war powers should be of serious concern to everyone in PA-01,” concluded Hurwitz.
SSS – You obviously know nothing of the Constitution and the authority of the Commander in Chief. Additionally, your ignorance of the Constitution is reflected in your belief that the President is impeached or in the middle of same. The process of the “urgently” needed impeachment, and the stalling by Pelosi, has deemed the act null and void. Take the time to get educated so you don’t appear so foolish.
Here’s another old saying, “Those that can not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.- Philosopher George Santayana. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, 1937-1940 pursued a policy of Appeasement toward Adolf Hitler. Tne sad fact is that terrorists can never be appeased. Appeasement to them is a sign of weakness,
As far as Trump explaining the imminent threat to America asked for by Judi Reiss,the answer is simple. Soleimani had a obsession to kill AND to continue to kill Americans.We didn’t have to know precisely when and where. So any opportunity we had to take him out, it was our duty and obligation to do so.
There is an old saying, “Loose lips sink ships.” if president Trump told Congress of his plans- All 435 House of Representatives and 100 state senators, how long does any reasonable person believe that this would be kept a secret? Also, when Obama went after Bin Laden, did he inform the Congress?
The reality is, if Trump says that the sky is blue, the Democrats would say it is gray or vice versa.
Really? We’ve known where he was every day for the past decade. But it just so happens now that they order this (Unconstitutionally, mind you) in the middle of impeachment?
I expect no less from that bootlicking phony.
Are you really going to assume that you know all the details behind this event? Pretty arrogant of you. Do you commute each day to your super-secret intelligence job in D.C. or do they come to New Hope to brief you?