#trump-administration-messaging

#trump-administration-messaging

We had, you remember the last few months of 2001 and virtually all of 2002 in order to make the case that action was needed against Iraq. We had time at the U.N, the U.N. resolution. We had an authorization for the use of force resolution before the Congress. So we were able to consciously, deliberately, and over a long course of time to lay out the case. That's not been the instance here.

And we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties ... And then we would all be here answering questions about why we knew that and didn't act. Obviously, we were aware of Israeli intentions and understood what that would mean for us, and we had to be prepared to act as a result of it. But this had to happen no matter what.