From: januarybaybee@gmail.com   
      
   The bastard almost started a full-scale war and caused the deaths of 167   
   innocent civilians.  And more to come as Iran avenges the assassination of a   
   major  Iranian leader.  But the man is a psychopath - and he doesn't care.   
      
                                                  =================   
    WASHINGTON   
   Reuters Published January 13, 2020   
      
      
   Trump says ‘it doesn’t really matter’ if there was an imminent threat   
   from Soleimani   
      
   President Donald Trump on Monday defended his decision to kill Iranian   
   commander Qassem Soleimani, contending Soleimani posed an impending threat to   
   the United States but also saying the threat “doesn’t really matter”   
   given the military leader’s    
   history.   
      
   “The Fake News Media and their Democrat Partners are working hard to   
   determine whether or not the future attack by terrorist Soleimani was   
   ‘imminent’ or not, & was my team in agreement,” Trump wrote on Twitter.   
      
   “The answer to both is a strong YES., but it doesn’t really matter because   
   of his horrible past!”   
      
   Democrats, who are trying to pass legislation to rein in Trump’s ability to   
   wage war on Iran without lawmakers’ approval, sharply disagreed.   
      
   “You cannot take military action against another nation without   
   congressional consent unless to defend against an imminent attack,”   
   Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said on Twitter.   
      
   “It’s clear now this was an illegal action. That also has made America   
   less safe,” he said, noting an NBC News report that Trump had authorized the   
   killing of Soleimani seven months ago.   
      
   Since confirming Soleimani was killed by a U.S. air strike in Baghdad,   
   administration officials have claimed they acted because of an imminent risk   
   of attacks on American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout   
   the region.   
      
   Democrats and a few Republicans in Congress have questioned the justification   
   of the attacks and said they have not been given adequate, detailed briefings.   
      
   Some have also argued that the U.S. Constitution gives Congress, not the   
   president, the authority to declare war, and called for the Senate and House   
   of Representatives to act to take that authority back from the White House.   
      
   Reflecting deep divisions in Washington over Trump’s Iran policy, the House   
   voted nearly along party lines last week to pass a resolution that would force   
   the president to seek congressional approval for further military action   
   against Iran.   
      
   Three of Trump’s fellow Republicans backed the resolution and eight   
   Democrats – who control a majority in the House – voted against it.   
      
   A companion measure has been introduced in the Senate but there has been no   
   word on timing of a vote, giving uncertainty about Trump’s impeachment trial.   
      
   Last week Trump posited in an interview that Iran had been poised to attack   
   four American embassies before Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike on   
   Jan. 3.   
      
   But on Sunday U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he did not see specific   
   evidence that Iran was planning an attack.   
      
   “What the president said was that there probably could be additional attacks   
   against embassies. I shared that view,” Esper said. “The president   
   didn’t cite a specific piece of evidence.”   
      
   When pressed on whether intelligence officers offered concrete evidence on   
   that point, Esper said: “I didn’t see one with regards to four   
   embassies.”   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)