Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 8 January 2020

Trump pressed to detail what

prompted strike on Iran general

WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- on the reasons for the U.S. have been pressing for
dent Donald Trump and his attack. more detail to explain why
top advisers are under pres- "We saved a lot of lives," Trump ordered the killing
sure to disclose more details Trump said. "They were — a decision that previous
about the intelligence that planning something." administrations passed up
led to an American airstrike Hours later, Iran struck because of fears it would
that killed t op Iranian Gen. back, firing a series of sur- unleash even more vio-
Qassem Soleimani. face-to-surface missiles at lence.
Trump said Tuesday that his two Iraqi bases housing Soleimani traveled fre-
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Greek decision saved American U.S. troops and warning the quently and relatively
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the Oval Office of the White lives and that members of United States and its allies in openly, with visits to Bagh-
House, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, in Washington.
Associated Press Congress will get a briefing the region not to retaliate. dad more frequent in re-
The White House said the cent months. He also often
president was monitoring showed up in Syria, includ-
the situation closely and ing along the border be-
consulting with his national tween Iraq and Syria.
security team. Senate Minority Leader
So far, Trump and top na- Chuck Schumer and Sen.
tional security officials have Bob Menendez, the top
justified the airstrike with Democrat on the Senate
general statements about Foreign Relations Commit-
the threat posted by Solei- tee, have called on Trump
mani, who commanded to declassify the written
proxy forces outside Iran notification he sent to Con-
and was responsible for the gress after the strike. The
deaths of American troops notification was required
in Iraq. But the details have under the War Powers Res-
been scarce. olution Act of 1973, which
"He's no longer a monster. requires the president to
He's dead," Trump said. report to Congress when
"And that's a good thing for American forces are sent
a lot of countries. He was into hostile situations.
planning a very big attack "'The president must come
and a very bad attack for to Congress and present
us and other people and clear and compelling in-
we stopped him and I don't telligence as to why the
think anybody can com- strike against Soleimani
plain about it." was absolutely necessary,"
Soleimani was targeted Menendez said in a speech
while he was at an airport on the Senate floor. "In the
in Baghdad with Abu Mah- wake of all its misleading
di al-Muhandis, a veteran statements we must make
Iraqi militant who also was clear to the administra-
killed. tion that the president by
Trump said they weren't in himself does not have the
Baghdad to discuss vaca- authority to launch a war
tion plans or visit a "'nice re- against Iran."
sort," but were there to talk Trump stressed that the
over "'bad business."' strike was in retaliation for
The lack of detail doesn't Iranian attacks and that
sit well with Democrats, the U.S. is prepared to at-
who recall how President tack again — "'very strong-
George W. Bush justified ly." He also said that while
his invasion of Iraq by ac- he eventually wants to pull
cusing Saddam Hussein of U.S. troops out of Iraq, now
having non-existent weap- is not the time because it
ons of mass destruction. would allow Iran to gain a
Lawmakers in recent days bigger foothold there. q