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U.S. Senator Ted Cruz found it “bizarre” that former CIA director John Brennan was actually upset over the reported assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist.
The Texas Republican slammed Brennan for his Twitter meltdown over the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh who was seen as the architect behind Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Brennan, like other Obama-era officials, raised eyebrows with his fiery reaction to the death of the man appointed in 2018 as the director of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear project.
Brennan slammed the ambush shooting of Fakhrizadeh as a “criminal act & highly reckless” in a tweet on Friday after Iranian state television confirmed his death.
“It risks lethal retaliation & a new round of regional conflict,” he wrote, adding a highly inappropriate shot at President Donald Trump by suggesting it would be “wise” for Iranian leaders to “wait for the return of responsible American leadership on the global stage.”
This was a criminal act & highly reckless. It risks lethal retaliation & a new round of regional conflict.
Iranian leaders would be wise to wait for the return of responsible American leadership on the global stage & to resist the urge to respond against perceived culprits. https://t.co/0uZhyBTM3S— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) November 27, 2020
And while Brennan told Iran it would be best to “resist the urge to respond against perceived culprits,” he had no issue with responding himself without evidence or further reports. Although Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif blamed Israel for the attack, neither that nation nor the U.S. has yet officially commented on the incident.
Brennan, who served as the director of the CIA between 2013 and 2017, slammed the attack as “an act of state-sponsored terrorism” and a “flagrant violation of international law.”
These assassinations are far different than strikes against terrorist leaders & operatives of groups like al-Qaida & Islamic State, which are not sovereign states. As illegitimate combatants under international law, they can be targeted in order to stop deadly terrorist attacks.
— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) November 27, 2020
Brennan came under fire for his over-reaction and Cruz let him have it on Twitter.
“It’s bizarre to see a former head of the CIA consistently side with Iranian zealots who chant ‘Death to America.’ And reflexively condemn Israel,” the senator tweeted Friday.
It’s bizarre to see a former head of the CIA consistently side with Iranian zealots who chant “Death to America.”
And reflexively condemn Israel.
Does Joe Biden agree? https://t.co/H38OB1ejCr
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) November 27, 2020
Brennan fired back, accusing Cruz of having a “simple-minded approach” to national security.
“It is typical for you to mischaracterize my comment. Your lawless attitude & simple-minded approach to serious national security matters demonstrate that you are unworthy to represent the good people of Texas,” the former CIA director tweeted.
It is typical for you to mischaracterize my comment. Your lawless attitude & simple-minded approach to serious national security matters demonstrate that you are unworthy to represent the good people of Texas. https://t.co/93WwclgAtS
— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) November 27, 2020
He also touted his so-called record of “commitment to Israel’s security” and his “efforts to counter Iran’s malign activities” in a subsequent tweet after complaining that Cruz was “misrepresenting the Logan Act.”
My commitment to Israel’s security & my efforts to counter Iran’s malign activities are well documented throughout my 33 years of national security work serving Republican & Democratic Administrations.
Aside from his tiresome rhetoric, what has Senator Cruz ever done?
— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) November 28, 2020
Journalist Glenn Greenwald had also wondered if the FBI should investigate Brennan for Logan Act violations, reminding Democrats that it’s “exactly” what they accused former national security adviser Michael Flynn of doing.
This, ironically, is *exactly* the message that Flynn gave to Russia during the 2016 transition — hey, guys, don’t get crazy with retaliation: wait until we’re in power shortly and things will be different.
Maybe the FBI should investigate Brennan for Logan Act violations? https://t.co/W6ltqKpsw9
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) November 27, 2020
Former Obama deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes was also called out for his reaction to the death of the Iranian.
I’m not sure Rhodes is on the correct side of this argument.
— Brian M Wilcox (@bwilcoxwrites) November 28, 2020
Despite the many liberals who applauded Brennan’s jab at Cruz on social media, many other Twitter users were clear that his vehement criticism of the incident in Iran was not a good look.
Sorry for your loss 🎻
— Igor Schatz (@Copernicus2013) November 27, 2020
I’m sorry this is happening to you (and your nuclear scientist friends in Iran.)
— President-Elect LarkInTheLou (@LarkInTheLou) November 27, 2020
Glad to know that the message you’re sending here is “wait til your friends are back in power”
— JonathonSnyder (@JonathonSnyder) November 27, 2020
He’s still not over the loss of Soleimani.
— mallen2010 (@mallen2010) November 27, 2020
Will it be as bad as moving the embassy to Jerusalem or as bad as normalizing relations between Israel and the UAE? That bad? Or will it be as bad as the ‘red lines’ in Syria and ‘ISIS as JV’?
— MarginalResult (@MarginalResult) November 27, 2020
He’s sending thoughts and prayers, because he can’t send planeloads of cash (at least not yet)
— ArmyProperty (@ArmyProperty) November 28, 2020
Where’s @Jack? I think this Tweet deserves a warning for disputed facts
— Sue Caro (@SueCaro1) November 28, 2020
Iranian here. I am very happy that criminal scientist is no more and would like to thank whoever did it.
— sara b (@sbelg) November 27, 2020
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