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Kentucky's Congressional Delegation Reacts to U.S. Killing Soleimani

Ron Cogswell with permission via Creative Commons

Kentucky's two U.S. Senators and members of the U.S. House are reacting to the U.S. drone strikethat killed the leading Iranian military leader, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell

Ina speech on the Senate floor Friday, the Republican Majority Leader strongly supported the killing of Soleimani. 

“This morning Iran’s master terrorist is dead," McConnell said. "The architect and chief engineer of the world’s most active state sponsor of terroism has been removed from the battlefield at the hand of the United States military. No man alive was more directly responsible for the deaths of more American service members than Qasem Soleimani."

 

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul
 
Paul questioned the move by Trump in a series of tweets Friday. 

U.S Rep. James Comer, 1st House District

Comer, a Republican from Tompkinsville and strong supporter of President Trump, backed the drone strike in a statement released Friday. 

“I applaud President Trump and our Armed Forces for their bold and courageous action in taking out a brutal terrorist responsible for the bloodshed of hundreds of American citizens in Iraq,” Comer said.

 
U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie, 2nd House District

Guthrie, a Republican from Bowling Green, also supported the strike. 

“Qassem Soleimani has directed attacks at U.S. troops and has the blood of hundreds of American lives on his hands. Our brave men and women in uniform eliminated him from the battlefield. I think President Trump reacted restrained and appropriately, and I do hope Iran sees the power and will of our military and de-escalates their provocations. In the coming days I stand ready to work with my colleagues in Congress and the administration to respond to any further escalation in the Middle East," Rep. Brett Guthrie said in an emailed statement.

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, 3rd House District

Yarmuth, Kentucky's only Congressional Democrat, criticized the attack in a statement posted on Twitter Friday.

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, 4th House District

Massie, a Republican and close ally of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, questioned the wisdom of the drone strike in a tweet Friday.

U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, 5th House District

Rogers, a Republican from Somerset, supported the killing of Soleimani.

U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, 6th House District

Barr, a Lexington Republican, said the death of Soleimani was welcome news. 

The award-winning news team at WKU Public Radio consists of Dan Modlin, Kevin Willis, Lisa Autry, and Joe Corcoran.
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