“NO IMMINENT THREAT”: TOP TRUMP OFFICIAL RESIGNS OVER IRAN WAR”
GREATRIBUNTVNEWS–JOE Kent, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned, citing the US war in Iran as the reason. Kent, a staunch Trump supporter, stated that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US and accused Israel and its American lobby of pressuring the administration into the conflict .
Key Issues:
– _”I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”_ – Joe Kent, Resignation Letter
– Allegations of Misinformation: Kent claims Israeli officials and US media misled Trump about Iran’s threat, echoing tactics used to justify the Iraq War.
– _”This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory.”_ – Joe Kent
– First High-Profile Departure: Kent’s resignation marks the first major departure of Trump’s second term over a policy issue, raising scrutiny on the administration’s case for war .
The Office of Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
After the initial wave of strikes against Iran, Trump cited an “imminent threat” to the US, and administration officials said the US acted in response to potential preemptive attacks by Iran on forces in the region — claims that were contradicted in Pentagon briefings to Capitol Hill, where defense officials said Iran was not planning to attack unless struck first.
Kent blamed Israeli officials and the media for misleading Trump about the threat posed by Iran.
“This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to victory,” he wrote in his resignation letter. “This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women. We cannot make this mistake again.”
Kent served in a key intelligence position
Kent is leaving a crucial role at an organization tasked with monitoring intelligence associated with long-existing terrorist organizations in the Middle East as well as drug cartels and international gangs. Before taking on the position he served as a top aide to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Kent earned his top position in part by being a vocal proponent of Trump’s 2020 election conspiracies. But Kent’s penchant for conspiracies led to clashes with other administration officials since taking office.
Last year Kent drew a rebuke from FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials after he sought to access FBI systems to investigate the Charlie Kirk assassination, pursuing claims that there could have been foreign involvement in the killing, according to people briefed on the discussions.
Patel and other officials raised concerns that accessing FBI evidence could damage the prosecution of Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged in the Kirk assassination, those briefed said.
Kent has extensive experience in counterterrorism and the military — he served 11 combat tours over a 20-year career in the Army before retiring to become a CIA officer — and has personal experience as a Gold Star spouse. His first wife, Shannon, was killed in a 2019 suicide bombing in Syria while serving as a Navy cryptologist.
Kent’s past connections with far-right figures
Kent ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 2022, during which past associations with far-right figures became a key issue.
Kent repeatedly had to disavow past interactions with Nazi sympathizer Greyson Arnold and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes as CNN’s KFile has previously reported. Kent said at the time he was unfamiliar with Fuentes and later said he did not want Fuentes’ endorsement.
During Kent’s confirmation hearing, he faced criticism from Democratic lawmakers who pointed to those past associations.
Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, described him at the time as a “conspiracy theorist who espouses white supremacist views and is patently unqualified for this important role in just about every way imaginable.” He was confirmed in a 52-44 vote in the Senate.
Trump’s rationale for attacking the Iranian regime has whipsawed from protecting the demonstrators who protested in the streets of Iran in January to defending the US against the risk of Iran building nuclear and long-range weapons and eliminating a regime that’s backed terrorist groups’ killing Americans for decades. He’s called for the Iranian people to take control of their country even as top officials say the war is not about regime change
SOURCE ==CNN==EXCEPT THE HEADLINE AND INTRO PLUS A FEW PARAGRAPHS
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