Post by Andrei Tchentchik on May 8, 2020 12:49:01 GMT 2
(.#B.040).- Donald Trump is vetoing to keep his hands free against Iran.
Donald Trump is vetoing to keep his hands free against Iran.
PHOTO TOM BRENNER, REUTERS
President Donald Trump
(Washington) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed elected officials, Democrats but also Republicans, who wanted to limit his field of military action against Iran.
Posted on May 6, 2020 at 5:32 p.m. Updated at 7:06 p.m.
JEROME CARTILLIER
FRANCE MEDIA AGENCY
The death, on January 3, 2020 of the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, aimed at by an American strike in Iraq, had caused a peak of tensions between the two enemy countries making fear a direct military confrontation.
The Democratic opposition in Congress then presented a text aimed at curbing the powers of the president who had - real snub for the tenant of the White House - been approved with the support of certain Republicans.
Eight of them joined the Democrats in the Senate.
In announcing his long-awaited veto, Donald Trump denounced an "insulting resolution" devised by his political opponents to try to divide his party in the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections on November 3, 2020.
.
PHOTO ATTA KENARE, ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A poster of the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, in Tehran, January 11, 2020
"The few Republicans who voted for the text have made their game," he lamented in a statement in a very vindictive tone.
According to this resolution, the President of the United States cannot engage his soldiers in "hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran" or "any part of his government or his army" without "explicit authorization" from Congress, under the form of a declaration of war or a specific green light.
"A hostile world"
For Donald Trump, the text would have "greatly damaged the president's ability to protect" the United States and its allies.
"We live in a hostile world where threats are constantly evolving and the constitution recognizes that the president must be able to anticipate the actions of our adversaries and act quickly and decisively to respond to them," he wrote.
" That's what I did ! ", He concluded.
If there was a consensus within the American political class to say that General Soleimani was "the main architect" of Iran's destabilizing activities around the world, the Democrats had judged the operation to eliminate it "disproportionate and provocative ”.
However, after a response from Tehran which had targeted missiles on bases used by the US military in Iraq without causing death, the tension had eased somewhat.
The Trump administration insists that its campaign of maximum pressure against Tehran, with unprecedented sanctions, and the January 3 strike, "re-established deterrence against the Islamic Republic."
But tensions between the two countries remain high, as evidenced by the recent verbal escalation after a maritime incident between American ships and Iranian speedboats in the Gulf.
On Wednesday evening, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine lamented that the president had decided to block a text "which would help avoid an unnecessary war in the Middle East".
He called on elected officials to overcome the presidential veto. However, such an initiative is unlikely to succeed, as it requires two-thirds of the members of each chamber to rally behind the text.
In 2019, Donald Trump had already suffered a snub on foreign policy. Congress had passed a resolution demanding an end to US support for the Saudi military coalition in the war in Yemen, with the exception of operations targeting jihadist groups. He also vetoed it.
F I N .
Donald Trump is vetoing to keep his hands free against Iran.
PHOTO TOM BRENNER, REUTERS
President Donald Trump
(Washington) US President Donald Trump on Wednesday vetoed elected officials, Democrats but also Republicans, who wanted to limit his field of military action against Iran.
Posted on May 6, 2020 at 5:32 p.m. Updated at 7:06 p.m.
JEROME CARTILLIER
FRANCE MEDIA AGENCY
The death, on January 3, 2020 of the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, aimed at by an American strike in Iraq, had caused a peak of tensions between the two enemy countries making fear a direct military confrontation.
The Democratic opposition in Congress then presented a text aimed at curbing the powers of the president who had - real snub for the tenant of the White House - been approved with the support of certain Republicans.
Eight of them joined the Democrats in the Senate.
In announcing his long-awaited veto, Donald Trump denounced an "insulting resolution" devised by his political opponents to try to divide his party in the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections on November 3, 2020.
.
PHOTO ATTA KENARE, ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
A poster of the powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, in Tehran, January 11, 2020
"The few Republicans who voted for the text have made their game," he lamented in a statement in a very vindictive tone.
According to this resolution, the President of the United States cannot engage his soldiers in "hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran" or "any part of his government or his army" without "explicit authorization" from Congress, under the form of a declaration of war or a specific green light.
"A hostile world"
For Donald Trump, the text would have "greatly damaged the president's ability to protect" the United States and its allies.
"We live in a hostile world where threats are constantly evolving and the constitution recognizes that the president must be able to anticipate the actions of our adversaries and act quickly and decisively to respond to them," he wrote.
" That's what I did ! ", He concluded.
If there was a consensus within the American political class to say that General Soleimani was "the main architect" of Iran's destabilizing activities around the world, the Democrats had judged the operation to eliminate it "disproportionate and provocative ”.
However, after a response from Tehran which had targeted missiles on bases used by the US military in Iraq without causing death, the tension had eased somewhat.
The Trump administration insists that its campaign of maximum pressure against Tehran, with unprecedented sanctions, and the January 3 strike, "re-established deterrence against the Islamic Republic."
But tensions between the two countries remain high, as evidenced by the recent verbal escalation after a maritime incident between American ships and Iranian speedboats in the Gulf.
On Wednesday evening, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine lamented that the president had decided to block a text "which would help avoid an unnecessary war in the Middle East".
He called on elected officials to overcome the presidential veto. However, such an initiative is unlikely to succeed, as it requires two-thirds of the members of each chamber to rally behind the text.
In 2019, Donald Trump had already suffered a snub on foreign policy. Congress had passed a resolution demanding an end to US support for the Saudi military coalition in the war in Yemen, with the exception of operations targeting jihadist groups. He also vetoed it.
F I N .
