Lawmakers are expected to get a classified briefing this week on the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq. The briefing will likely be conducted by CIA Director Gina Haspel, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
As we told you before, a number of congressional leaders are upset that they weren’t briefed before the bombs dropped. As such, House Democrats are planning a vote this week on a war powers resolution aimed at limiting President Trump's military actions on Iran.
While Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer calls himself “increasingly alarmed” about the situation with Iran, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the death of the top Iranian military leader should be welcomed.
As for President Trump’s threats to go after Iranian cultural sites? He may be adamant about the plan, but Defense Secretary Mark Esper says it’s not happening. As we told you before, Trump tweeted over the weekend that the U.S. military has picked out 52 targets to strike if Iran retaliates for the U.S. airstrike. And while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and others walked that back afterwards, Trump has repeated the plan. Still, Esper tells CNN that the U.S. will follow the "laws of armed conflict". Good thing. Committing such an act would be considered a war crime according to the 1954 Hague Convention, which prohibits “any act of hostility” directed against cultural property.
Meantime, Chevron is evacuating all of its American workers from Iraq as a "precautionary measure.” Chevron representatives say that local staff are overseeing Chevron's ongoing operations in the Kurdistan Region.
Source: Politico