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Going through this letter in detail:
"Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States."
Neither did ISIS. And yet you applaud their defeat later on in your letter. Just because an adversary isn't an "imminent threat" doesn't mean you should wait until that threat is "imminent" and much more costly to deal with, if their trajectory is headed that way.
"I support the values and the foreign policies you campaigned on in 2016, 2020, and 2024, which you enacted in your first term."
Those include repeated commitments to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
"In your first administration, you understood better than any modern President how to decisively apply military power without getting us drawn into never-ending wars. You demonstrated this by killing Qasam Solamani and by defeating ISIS."
Then why aren't you giving him the benefit of the doubt? We're less than three weeks in to Epic Fury. It took quite a bit longer than that for President Trump to finish off ISIS.
"Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran."
Source? I noticed a misinformation campaign going the other direction - from people like Tucker who suggested 20,000 Americans would almost certainly die if we knocked out the Iranian nuclear facilities last June.
"This echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States."
THIS is the part that''s just incredibly patronizing. Trump has six years of experience being President, He has access to the best assessments made by his intelligence community and his military. Suggesting he fell victim to an external influence operation instead of going with the advice of his appointed senior advisors is patronizing and insulting.
"This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq War."
THAT is false. The record is clear that the Israeli government cautioned against American entry into Iraq. Netanyahu giving supportive testimony in Congress while he was a private citizen (after the decision to invade had been made) does not contradict that.
"As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost by beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel..."
We're all sorry for your loss. But even if you are right about Israel encouraging us to invade Iraq (which you are not, as discussed), how are you still blaming them for America's continued presence in Iraq seventeen years later?
None of this is remotely persuasive, Joe, and it's deeply insulting to the President who endorsed your Congressional campaigns and entrusted you with an important National Security position. That said, your conscience is your conscience, and given that these are your beliefs, it is indeed best that you no longer serve in the administration.
Joe Kent@joekent16jan19
After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby. It has been an honor serving under @POTUS and @DNIGabbard and leading the professionals at NCTC. May God bless America.
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