这唐纳德·特朗普总统下令的周四晚间空袭杀害伊朗最高将军卡西姆·苏莱曼尼和两名伊拉克高级民兵官员的事件立即引起了国会议员和民主党总统候选人的反应。
共和党人赞扬特朗普在伊朗支持的民兵组织支持者袭击美国驻巴格达大使馆后做出的迅速反应，此前美国上周末对该组织的设施进行了空袭。美国认为与伊朗有关联的民兵组织应对伊拉克北部一个联合空军基地的火箭袭击负责，该袭击造成一名美国国防承包商死亡，其他人受伤。
然而，民主党人愤怒而担忧，他们的焦虑有两个方面。首先，特朗普既没有寻求国会的批准，也没有通知八国集团——一个由两院资深议员组成的两党团体——这种礼貌通常是总统在如此重大的军事行动之前给予的。其次，民主党人表示，美国和伊朗之间紧张局势的严重升级可能会使美国海外人员受到报复性袭击的伤害，或者更糟糕的是，导致新的中东战争。
伊朗迅速发誓要报复，其外交部长将推特上的攻击形容为“极其危险&愚蠢的升级”，该国最高领导人警告说，“严厉的报复正在等待”但美国国务院表示，为了挫败“对美国人生命的迫在眉睫的威胁”，罢工至关重要。国务院发布了一份旅行警告，要求美国公民“立即离开伊拉克”国防部表示，苏莱曼尼“正在积极制定计划，攻击美国驻伊拉克和整个地区的外交官和服务人员。”
到目前为止，民主党内争夺特朗普席位的竞争者对此反应如下。
1月3日，在巴基斯坦拉合尔，在美国空袭导致伊拉克最高指挥官卡西姆·索莱马尼死亡后的示威游行中，抗议者高呼反对美国的口号。
乔·拜登
这位前副总统说，尽管索莱曼尼是一个“支持恐怖和制造混乱”的可怕人物，除了“对美国军队和整个地区数千名无辜者犯下罪行”，他担心特朗普的行动可能会产生严重后果。
拜登在一份声明中说:“政府声明说，其目标是阻止伊朗未来的袭击，但这一行动几乎肯定会产生相反的效果。”。"特朗普总统刚刚把一根炸药扔进了火药桶。"
伯尼·桑德斯
这位独立的佛蒙特州参议员强调了他对乔治·布什总统领导下的伊拉克战争的投票，并说他担心杀死苏莱曼尼会使美国向该地区的另一场冲突靠近一步。
桑德斯在推特上的一份声明中表示:“特朗普的危险升级让我们更接近中东的另一场灾难性战争，这场战争可能导致无数人丧生，数万亿美元的损失。”。"特朗普承诺结束无休止的战争，但这一行动让我们走上了另一场战争的道路。"
伊丽莎白·沃伦
来自马萨诸塞州的参议员沃伦称苏莱曼尼为“杀人犯”，他“应对包括数百名美国人在内的数千人的死亡负责”然而，像她的民主党同事一样，她称特朗普杀害这位领导人的决定是“鲁莽的举动”，这“加剧了与伊朗的局势，增加了更多死亡和新中东冲突的可能性。”
她在推特上写道，“我们的首要任务必须是避免另一场代价高昂的战争。”
杨安泽
在一系列推文中，这位企业家发誓要“结束中东地区的永久战争”，并废除2001年9月11日袭击后通过的授权使用武力(AUMF)的法律。自那以后，总统们一直使用布什时代的法律作为在中东进行军事行动的法律依据，而没有得到国会的批准。
“我们的宪法规定国会有权宣战。我将废除AUMF，恢复国会和行政部门在军事行动上的历史平衡，”杨写道。“这一决定凸显了唐纳德·特朗普下台的必要性....与伊朗的战争是我们最不需要的，也不是美国人民的意愿。”
Tulsi Gabbard
夏威夷国会女议员周五早上在福克斯新闻上表达了她对空袭的反对。她指责总统不寻求国会批准违反了宪法。
加巴德说:“这显然是总统未经国会授权或宣战的战争行为，明显违反了宪法。”。“这进一步加剧了这种持续不断的针锋相对，将引发伊朗非常严肃的回应，而[将我们推入越来越深的泥潭。这确实回避了一个问题:为什么？我们想实现什么？这里的最终状态和目标是什么？”
加巴德是伊拉克战争的老兵，她的大部分竞选活动都集中在反对“政权更迭战争”上，她还是众议院军事委员会的成员。
皮特·巴蒂吉格
迄今为止，印第安纳州前南本德市长尚未发表公开声明。他的竞选活动没有得到回应新闻周刊的评论请求。但是迪吉格曾在海军后备队担任情报官员，并被派往阿富汗工作了六个月。
HOW 2020 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES RESPONDED TO SOLEIMANI KILLING: 'WAR WITH IRAN IS THE LAST THING WE NEED'
The Thursday evening airstrike ordered by President Donald Trump that killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and two senior Iraqi militia officials brought immediate responses from members of Congress, as well as Democratic presidential candidates.
Republicans applauded Trump for his swift response after the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad by supporters of an Iran-backed militia, which came after the U.S. conducted airstrikes last weekend against facilities of the group. The Iran-tied militia was considered by the U.S. to be responsible for rocket attacks at a coalition airbase in northern Iraq that killed an American defense contractor and injured others.
However, Democrats were furious and concerned, and their anxiety was twofold. First, Trump neither sought congressional approval nor notified the Gang of Eight—a bipartisan group of senior lawmakers from both chambers—a courtesy that is typically extended by a president before such a consequential military operation. Secondly, Democrats said the severe escalation in tensions between the U.S. and Iran could put American personnel abroad in harm's way from retaliatory attacks or, worse, result in a new Middle East war.
Iran swiftly vowed to retaliate, with its foreign minister characterizing the attack on Twitter as "extremely dangerous & a foolish escalation" and the country's supreme leader warning that "harsh retaliation is waiting." But the strike was crucial in order to thwart "imminent threats to American lives," said the State Department, which issued a travel alert for U.S. citizens to "depart Iraq immediately." The Department of Defense said Soleimani was "actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region."
Here's how contenders in the Democratic field who are vying to unseat Trump have responded so far.
In Lahore, Pakistan, on January 3, protesters shout slogans against the United States during a demonstration following the U.S. airstrike that killed top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Iraq.
Joe Biden
The former vice president said that while Soleimani was a terrible person who "supported terror and sowed chaos," in addition to committing "crimes against American troops and thousands of innocents throughout the region," he feared Trump's action could have grave consequences.
"The administration's statement says that its goal is to deter future attacks by Iran, but this action almost certainly will have the opposite effect," Biden said in a statement. "President Trump just tossed a stick of dynamite into a tinderbox."
Bernie Sanders
The independent Vermont senator highlighted his vote against the Iraq War under President George W. Bush and said he fears killing Soleimani puts the U.S. one step closer to another conflict in the region.
"Trump's dangerous escalation brings us closer to another disastrous war in the Middle East that could cost countless lives and trillions more dollars," Sanders said in a statement on Twitter. "Trump promised to end endless wars, but this action puts us on the path to another one."
Elizabeth Warren
Warren, a senator from Massachusetts, branded Soleimani a "murderer" who was "responsible for the deaths of thousands, including hundreds of Americans." However, like her Democratic colleagues, she called Trump's decision to kill the leader a "reckless move" that "escalates the situation with Iran and increases the likelihood of more deaths and new Middle East conflict."
Writing on Twitter, she added, "Our priority must be to avoid another costly war."
Andrew Yang
In a series of tweets, the entrepreneur vowed to "end the Forever Wars" in the Middle East region and to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), a law that was passed after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Presidents since then have used the Bush-era law as the legal basis to conduct military action in the Middle East without approval from Congress.
"Our Constitution says that it is the power of Congress to declare war. I would repeal the AUMF and restore the historical balance between Congress and the Executive branch concerning military action," Yang wrote. "This decision highlights the need to get Donald Trump out of office.... War with Iran is the last thing we need and is not the will of the American people."
Tulsi Gabbard
The Hawaii congresswoman went on Fox News Friday morning to voice her disapproval of the airstrike. She accused the president of violating the Constitution by not seeking congressional approval.
"This was very clearly an act of war by this president without any kind of authorization or declaration of war from Congress, clearly violating the Constitution," Gabbard said. "It further escalates this tit for tat that's going on and on and on, will elicit a very serious response from Iran, and [pushes] us deeper and deeper into this quagmire. And it really begs the question: For what? What are we trying to accomplish? What is the end state and the goal here?"
Gabbard is an Iraq War veteran who has centered much of her campaign on her opposition to "regime change wars" and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee.
Pete Buttigieg
So far, no public statements have been issued by the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor. His campaign did not respond to Newsweek's request for comment. Buttigieg served as an intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve and was deployed to Afghanistan for six months.
