Democratic senators say Trump lacks authority for military strike against North Korea

Numerous Democratic senators, led by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), warned President Donald Trump in a letter Monday, that he lacks “congressional” authority to launch a preemptive military strike against North Korea.

“Like many, we are deeply concerned about the potential consequences of a preemptive military strike on North Korea and the risks of miscalculation and retaliation,” the senators said. “Moreover, without congressional authorization, a preventative or preemptive U.S. military strike would lack either a Constitutional basis or legal authority.”

The 18 senators stressed the risk of retaliation if the White House continues to pursue a strike. “Ultimately, it is an enormous gamble to believe that a particular type of limited, preemptive strike will not be met with an escalatory response from Kim Jong Un and neither the United States nor our allies should take that step lightly.”

The senators also expressed concern over the vacancy of the U.S. ambassador to South Korea role, explaining the importance of diplomatic leadership in that position — specifically questioning why Victor Cha had been dropped from consideration, despite his qualifications for the position.

“We write to express our serious concerns regarding the continued absence of a U.S. Ambassador to South Korea and the reported removal from consideration of a highly qualified candidate, Dr. Victor Cha, for that position,” they said in the lettr. “We ask that you provide clear reasoning and justification for his removal from consideration.”

Cha previously served as director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council under former President George W. Bush’s administration.

The letter comes after a Jan. 30 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, where various experts argued against the White House’s “bloody nose” strategy against North Korea, which Cha reportedly disapproved.

For that reason, the senators alleged that the Trump administration removed Cha from consideration. “According to some media reports, the real reason for Dr. Cha’s removal was his disagreement with a “bloody nose” strategy under consideration by the White House.”

The letter ended, calling the potential preemptive strike irresponsible and urged the president to fill the ambassador position as soon as possible.

“While we must always be ready to respond with decisive action to a North Korean provocation, it would be extremely irresponsible to instigate military conflict prior to exhausting every diplomatic option,” they said. “We request your immediate attention to ensure the United States has in place its highest-ranking diplomat to serve as Ambassador to South Korea. We urge you to nominate a qualified individual for this critical position as soon as possible.”

Source:politico.com