A group of state lawmakers are coming out in support of President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. Armed Forces and intelligence agencies on a recent military operation that resulted in the death of Qasem Soleimani.
In the first week of the 2020 session of the General Assembly, the Georgia House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 882 which encourages citizens to “support President Donald J. Trump and the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces and intelligence agencies on their successful military operation that neutralized Qasem Soleimani” to prevent potential terrorist attacks against the U.S. The vote passed by a 93-68 vote. There were 12 who were excused and 7 no votes.
“I support the President and our brave men and women who put their lives in harms way every day to defend our freedoms,” said Rep. Matthew Gambill (R-Cartersville). “House Resolution 882 affirms their hard work and quick action to neutralize Qasem Soleimani. When we had the opportunity to reaffirm our support of the President and troops, I wanted to do it. I think this was the right thing to do.”
The Resolution states:
“WHEREAS, Qasem Soleimani was the world’s most prolific terrorist, personally culpable for the deaths of over 600 Americans and the maiming of thousands more, including the torture and killing of tens of thousands of people across the Middle East; and
“WHEREAS, Qasem Soleimani was personally sanctioned by the United Nations and the European Union and was designated a terrorist by the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, Qasem Soleimani trained terrorist armies throughout the region, breeding death and chaos in Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, as well as in many other nations; and
“WHEREAS, Qasem Soleimani “was actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” according to the United States Department of Defense; and
“WHEREAS, the killing of Qasem Soleimani was a monumental achievement in the War on Terror, sending a clear message that the United States of America will not allow her citizens to be attacked by terrorists without retaliation…”
“Along with my fellow freedom-loving Georgians, I salute our military and President Trump for their courageous and tireless efforts to protect our country from the scourge of radical Islamic terrorism,” said Rep. Jeff Jones (R-Brunswick). “Qasem Soleimani, the world’s number one terrorist, had the blood of many American’s on his hands and had plans to kill many more. Soleimani is now permanently out of the game. Thank you President Trump.”
House Resolution 882 was sponsored by Representatives Heath Clark (R-Warner Robins), Dave Belton (R-Buckhead), Josh Bonner (R-Fayetteville), Bill Hitchens (R-Rincon), Ed Setzler (R-Acworth) and Shaw Blackmon (R-Bonaire).
Belton, a veteran himself, spoke from the well prior to the vote, talking about the challenges faced by terrorist. Rep. Martin Momtahan (R-Dallas) gave a very moving talk from the well in support of the Resolution.
Soleimani was killed by a U.S. airstrike on Friday, January 3, 2020, at an airport in Baghdad, Iraq. Soleimani was an Iranian military commander of its Quds Force, which is a division of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
“War is not a partisan issue,” said Rep. Philip Singleton (R-Sharpsburg). “While it is always desirable to avoid taking human life, we acknowledge that evil exists and must be defeated. Every American is safer today because of the actions of our Commander-in-Chief, our intelligence community and our men and women in uniform.”
