"Trump Chooses Soleimani Elimination Card During Vacation... Aides Surprised"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Donald Trump, the President of the United States, made the decision to attack Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, while staying at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for year-end vacation. According to the Associated Press (AP) on the 4th (local time), it was the strongest option among the Iranian response plans proposed by his aides, surprising even them.

According to the report, after a rocket attack on the U.S. military base in Kirkuk, Iraq, on the 27th of last month, which killed one civilian, President Trump and his top national security aides gathered at the Mar-a-Lago resort to discuss response measures. At this meeting, the aides proposed several options including the elimination of Commander Soleimani. President Trump wanted the most dramatic option, which was the removal of Soleimani.

The aides expressed concerns that the option to eliminate Soleimani was one that previous presidents had avoided, as it carried a high risk of escalating conflict with Iran. They also worried that conducting an airstrike without evidence of an imminent attack could raise legal legitimacy issues. Consequently, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, and White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien discussed alternative options for several days.

AP reported, "However, President Trump focused on the option of eliminating Soleimani, and the aides, who had long seen Trump hesitate over U.S. military involvement abroad, were surprised by this situation."

Ultimately, on the 2nd, while meeting with political aides to discuss his re-election campaign, President Trump left the meeting room and gave final approval for a drone strike against Commander Soleimani. Regarding the attack location, most aides were initially negative about Iraq due to the U.S. military presence and poor local conditions, and some argued for conducting the operation when Soleimani traveled to Lebanon or Syria.

However, upon learning that Soleimani would visit Baghdad, Iraq, on the 2nd, it was decided that striking at the airport was the optimal opportunity. The aides referred to intelligence suggesting that Soleimani was visiting Middle Eastern countries to discuss final plans to attack U.S. diplomats, soldiers, and military facilities in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria, and judged that this could secure legal justification.

AP reported, "President Trump said that after Soleimani's death, he wanted to send a message to Iran through a close aide warning them not to mess with U.S. assets and to reaffirm that the U.S. will find its enemies anywhere in the world."