WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump insists that Iranian cultural sites are fair game for the U.S. military, dismissing concerns within his own administration that doing so could constitute a war crime under international law. He also warned Iraq that he would levy punishing sanctions if it expelled American troops in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad that killed a top Iranian official.
But, two top Senate Democrats are calling on President Donald Trump to immediately declassify the administration’s reasoning for the deadly strike on an Iranian official. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Senate Foreign Relation Committee’s Sen. Robert Menendez say there’s “no legitimate justification” for keeping the information from the public.
Schumer and Menendez say in a Monday letter to Trump the White House’s classified notification sent to Congress Saturday under the War Powers Act was insufficient. Trump has warned the U.S. will levy harsh sanctions if Iraq expels American troops in re
taliation for the strike in Baghdad that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Iran has vowed to retaliate.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday U.S. lawmakers should wait for the facts before criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to kill top Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike in Baghdad last week.
Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says the full Senate will be briefed on Wednesday about the U-S drone strike that killed Iran’s top general. But in a speech on the Senate floor, top Democrat Chuck Schumer argued for giving details of the intelligence that preceded the strike to the public.
Top congressional leaders will be briefed on Wednesday.
