Michigan congresswoman and former CIA analyst Elissa Slotkin released a statement addressing Donald Trump ‘s assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Newsweek reports. According to Slotkin, who says she was part of the U.S. response to Soleimani during previous administrations, Trump’s decision stems from a “different calculation” than those made by former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
In Slotkin’s statement, she outlines her military experience and positions in the Bush and Obama White Houses, as well as at the Pentagon. Across these positions, Slotkin said she was involved in “countless conversations” on how to address the violence Soleimani caused throughout the Middle East.
“If you worked on the Middle East over the past 20 years, you dealt with the growing organization and sophistication of Soleimani’s covert and overt military activities, which have contributed to significant destabilization across the region.”
According to Slotkin, previous presidents did not take action against Soleimani because they determined that the “ultimate ends didn’t justify the means.”
“The Trump Administration has made a different calculation,” she said, noting the importance of the Trump administration’s strategy around dealing with potential retaliation against U.S. diplomats, service members, or high-ranking military officers, as well as attacks on the Western world and America’s partners in the Middle East.
“It is critical that the Administration has thought out the moves and counter-moves this attack will precipitate, and is prepared to protect our diplomats, service members, and citizens serving overseas.”
Slotkin warned that Trump’s White House must inform Congress of its plans and request an Authorization for the Use of Military Force.
“If the Administration needs additional resources, it will need to come back to Congress to request support,” she said, adding that Congress must be informed of the administration’s plan “as soon as possible.”
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Trump carried out the drone strike that killed Soleimani without authorization from Congress. In addition, the president allegedly left Democratic leaders like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in the dark about the attack.
Pelosi released a statement following the attack in which she called for an immediate briefing to Congress that outlines the Trump administration’s plans for the next steps, including its recent deployment of additional troops to the Middle East.
Per CNBC , Trump said that his recent Twitter posts act as notification to Congress that he will attack Iran if the country takes revenge over Soleimani’s death.
