Trump says doesn’t need Congress’s OK for strike

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump thumbed his nose Sunday at critics angered at being kept in the dark over the US killing of a top Iranian general, saying he didn’t need Congressional approval – even for a “disproportionate” strike.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been leading the backlash against Trump’s decision to authorize a drone strike against Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, an operation that Trump only officially informed Congress nearly 48 hours after the event.

Two Democratic lawmakers announced on Sunday that they would introduce a new resolution before the House of Representatives that they said would prevent Trump from unilaterally leading the United States into a war against Iran.

But a defiant Trump made light of the calls for him to get

Congressional approval in any future military action, saying such notice was “not required” – and then saying his tweet would serve as prior notification if he did decide to strike against Iran again.

“These Media Posts will serve as notification to the United States Congress that should Iran strike any US person or target, the United States will quickly, fully strike back, perhaps in a disproportionate manner,” Trump wrote. “Such legal notice is not required, but is given nevertheless!”

While previous administrations have tried to garner bipartisan support for significant military operations by briefing opponents beforehand, neither Pelosi nor the top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, were told in advance about the targeting of Soleimani. – AFP