Democrat 2020 hopeful and former Vice President Joe Biden berated President Trump for giving the order to take out Iranian terrorist leader Qassem Soleimani in a Baghdad drone strike Thursday night.
"No American will mourn Qassem Soleimani's passing. He deserved to be brought to justice for his crimes against American troops and thousands of innocents throughout the region. He supported terror and sowed chaos. None of that negates the fact that this a huge escalator move in an already dangerous region. The Administration's statement says that its goal is to deter future attacks by Iran, but this action almost certainly will have the opposite effect. President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox, and he owes the American people an explanation of the strategy and plan to keep safe our troops and embassy personnel, our people and our interests, both here at home and abroad, and our partners throughout the region and beyond," Biden released in a statement.
"I'm not privy to the intelligence and much remains unknown, but Iran will surely respond. We could be on the brink of a major conflict across the Middle East. I hope the Administration has thought through the second and third-order consequences of the path they have chosen. But I fear this Administration has not demonstrated at any turn the discipline or long-term vision necessary and the stakes could not be higher," he continued.
For years the Trump administration has clearly and succinctly laid out its policy toward Iran: maximum pressure through sanctions and military force when necessary to protect Americans and U.S. interests. It's working and has reversed the failed Obama/Biden appeasement policies toward the terrorist regime.
Soleimani was planning imminent attacks in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon against American targets. President Trump took decisive action to prevent him from doing so, saving lives.
Biden's reaction is typical and wrong. After all, he's blown pretty much every foreign policy call he's ever made over the past four decades. He advised President Obama not to go after Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
Over to you, Secretary Gates.