Schiff: I haven’t seen intelligence that ‘taking out’ Soleimani would ‘stop the plotting’

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Sunday that he has not seen intelligence suggesting that killing Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani would prevent the planning of future attacks against the U.S.

“I haven’t seen intelligence that taking out Soleimani was going to either stop the plotting that was going on or decrease other risk to the United States,” the House Intelligence Committee chairman said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” 

Schiff, who was among lawmakers briefed after the U.S. drone strike in Baghdad last week killed the Iranian commander, also called President Trump’s decision “reckless,” and said it will increase risk to Americans around the world. 

Trump administration officials have defended the decision and said Soleimani was planning attacks that would put American lives in danger. 

Schiff on Sunday also called Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s comments that the decision to kill Soleimani saved American lives “a personal opinion.” 

“He is expressing a personal opinion, not an intelligence conclusion,” the congressman said.

The attack on Soleimani increased the risk of war with Iran, the California Democrat added. 

Iranian officials have vowed a response to the general’s killing.