Trump will rue recklessly yanking security from Mike Pompeo, others in Irans crosshairs
Newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday canceled the personal security detail assigned to retired Gen.Mark Milley, following his boss President Trump’s decision to revoke protection for his former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Iran envoy Brian Hook.That the Trump administration is doing so despite continued specific threats against their lives from the Islamic Republic of Iran is dangerous and short-sighted — and should be reversed without delay.What is going on here?In January 2020, Trump authorized a military strike in Iraq that killed Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force.Soleimani was “responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American and coalition service members and the wounding of thousands more,” according to the Pentagon.“Soleimani was plotting imminent and sinister attacks on American diplomats and military personnel, but we caught him in the act and terminated him,” Trump said at the time.The Islamic Republic of Iran was not happy that its chief exporter of terrorism had been taken off the battlefield.
A few days later, it launched a salvo of ballistic missiles at two bases in northern Iraq, resulting in traumatic brain injuries for more than 100 American troops.But the regime in Tehran was not satisfied.Since then, it has repeatedly made clear that it wants to kill numerous senior American leaders involved in the Soleimani strike, including Trump himself.As a US president, Trump enjoys world-class protection for life.The same cannot be said for Pompeo, Bolton, Milley and Hook.When reporters asked about his decision last week, Trump was shockingly dismissive.“When you have protection, you can’t have it for the rest of your life,” he shrugged, apparently oblivious to the fact that he himself has just such lifetime security.Trump may not fully appreciate the degree to which the murderous Iranian regime and its supporters are...