U.S. Reps. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and John Katko (R-NY) voiced support for the Trump administration’s Jan. 3 air strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who led the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, a designated terrorist organization.
“I believe that U.S. actions against longtime Iranian terrorist leader Qasem Soleimani were necessary and justified,” said Rep. Katko, who serves on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee.
Rep. Fitzpatrick, a member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the United States could no longer ignore “Iran’s attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, their mounting aggression against the United States in the region, and their direct and imminent threats to Americans serving in critical missions abroad.”
In fact, Rep. Fitzpatrick, citing intelligence from the U.S. Department of Defense, said “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.”
The lawmakers pointed out that Soleimani is directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American service members and carried out numerous terrorist attacks on behalf of Iran — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
Rep. Katko said that Soleimani for years “has fueled much of the conflict in the Middle East” and had “imminent plans of future attacks in the region.”
Rep. Thornberry, ranking member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, agreed.
“Iran has been deliberately ratcheting up tensions with provocative actions against the United States for some time, testing us and the world,” he said.
Reps. Katko and Thornberry also said that the United States must plan for retaliation from Iran.
“The U.S. must be fully prepared for whatever actions Iran may take after the death of Soleimani,” said Rep. Thornberry. “And all other nations that seek peace and stability throughout the Middle East should stand with us to discourage further Iranian aggression.”
“With Tehran already vowing forceful revenge, there is no question this action will have consequences and the United States must be prepared,” Rep. Katko said, adding that the U.S. government needs a decisive strategy.
“I recognize that we must be diligent in our efforts to bolster counterterrorism,” he added. “We must remain focused on keeping this country safe from retaliation — not only on the ground in the Middle East and here at home, but from potential cyberattacks against our nation.”