CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s lawmakers are among those reacting to the news regarding the death of Iran’s top general.
Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quids Forces, died in an American airstrike. The U.S. Defense Department said Soleimani was plotting to attack American diplomats and service members.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., called Soleimani the leader of “the world’s greatest state sponsor of terrorism.”
“There is no question that Soleimani is responsible for the murders of many Americans, and he was actively plotting to kill more. Scores of U.S. soldiers died or were seriously wounded in Iraq by the IED weapons that he was responsible for. Iran has been escalating tensions for months now, most recently sponsoring the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, and yesterday’s action demonstrated that Iranian terrorism will not be tolerated,” she said in a statement.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., called Soleimani a terrorist and “persistent threat to American troops and regional stability,” but noted concern about the process that led to his death.
“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,” Manchin said.
“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 de-escalating conflict in the region, both militarily and diplomatically.”
U.S. Reps. David McKinley, Alex Mooney and Carol Miller shared their support for the Trump administration in individual statements.
“Qassem Soleimani was the architect of Iran’s support of terrorist organizations and is directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of U.S. soldiers and thousands of innocent civilians. After recent provocations by Iran — and the likelihood that they were planning more attacks on Americans — President Trump responded appropriately by striking the leader orchestrating the attacks. Qassem Soleimani’s death is a reminder that we will not allow attacks on American soldiers to go unpunished,” McKinley said.
Mooney said he will “stand with President Donald Trump and our military and intelligence leaders as they work to ensure the safety of Americans at home and abroad.”
“Qasem Soleimani was a terrorist who was responsible for the death of American troops and civilians across the Middle East. He was killed in Iraq while meeting with other terrorists to carry out further violence,” Miller said.
“This is exactly why Congress authorized the use of force against terrorists in Iraq. The world is a safer place with Soleimani gone.”
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a warning of “harsh retaliation” against the United States.
Yeager Airport announced Friday it is adding extra security measures following the airstrike. Airport officials noted there is no threat to Charleston or the facility at this time.