Tensions Flare During Iran Briefing On Capitol Hill

WASHINGTON — Tensions flared down closed doors Wednesday arsenic defense and intelligence officials briefed immoderate lawmakers astir the warfare successful Iran, pinch Republicans and Democrats expressing vexation astir a deficiency of clarity and accusation astir President Donald Trump’s strategy, according to 4 legislature officials who attended nan briefing and a lawmaker who was briefed connected it later.

Much of nan vexation during nan briefing for nan House Armed Services Committee centered connected nan imaginable of nan United States’ sending crushed troops into Iran, nan officials and lawmaker said, including what nan troops could beryllium utilized for and whether nan U.S. tin adequately protect them erstwhile they were deployed.

“There was nary plan, nary strategy, nary extremity crippled shared, and they didn’t springiness immoderate answers. It’s unclear if location isn’t a scheme aliases if location is simply a scheme and they wouldn’t stock it pinch members,” 1 of nan legislature officials said.

The briefing took spot arsenic nan warfare nears nan one-month people and nan Trump management is some engaging successful a negotiated effort to effort to extremity it and sending much troops to nan Middle East while Trump weighs whether to deploy American forces connected nan crushed wrong Iran.

The president of nan Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., acknowledged successful a matter connection to NBC News aft nan briefing that location has been immoderate vexation pinch “ALL nan briefings that we person been receiving for nan past respective months.”

He said that “criticism has NOTHING to do pinch Operation Epic Fury.”

“I afloat support what nan management is doing successful Iran," he wrote. "But, erstwhile briefing members they request to beryllium prepared to present substantive accusation and much afloat reply questions.”

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., criticized nan briefing afterward, writing connected X: “Just walked retired of a House Armed Services Briefing connected Iran. Let maine repeat: I will not support troops connected nan crushed successful Iran, moreover much truthful aft this briefing.”

The Defense Department and nan White House did not instantly respond to requests for remark Wednesday night.

The legislature officials said nan briefers could not supply specifications astir nan anticipation of deploying U.S. troops to Iran but would not norm it out. And immoderate lawmakers who attended nan briefing made it clear successful nan closed-door gathering that they would not support boots connected nan ground, nan officials said.

The lawmaker who was briefed connected nan contents of nan briefing said a “red line” for immoderate lawmakers who presently support nan warfare would beryllium U.S. crushed troops successful Iran.

“That’s nan clip that they’re going to wantonness nan effort. There was interest that that is not being ruled out,” nan lawmaker said.

The 4 legislature officials successful nan briefing besides said location was vexation pinch nan defense and intelligence officials complete what they position arsenic a deficiency of a cohesive strategy for nan war, specifically wherever it is heading. They besides said tensions flared complete conflicting explanations from nan management astir nan justification for starting nan war.

The briefers said nan further U.S. troops headed to nan region are intended to springiness Trump options, nan legislature officials said.