January 03, 2020

Manchin Statement on Qasem Soleimani

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement on Qasem Soleimani.

“Make no mistake, Qasem Soleimani was a terrorist who did not value human life. He was a persistent threat to American troops and regional stability. As leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, he was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American servicemembers in Iraq, wounding thousands more, and also coordinating attacks against our interests. Under Soleimani’s leadership, the IRGC taught militants in Iraq how to build some of the deadliest roadside bombs aimed at American troops. Further, he was a longtime supporter of despots like Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad and terrorist organizations like Hezbollah.

“However, Congress cannot be left in the dark on operations of this magnitude, and the Administration must brief Congress on what imminent threat made it necessary to take him out now. I urge Administration officials to brief all members of Congress so we may better understand the circumstances surrounding the strike, potential retaliation scenarios, and the US government’s next steps in deescalating conflict in the region, both militarily and diplomatically.”