US Counterterrorism Center head resigns over Iran war
What's the story
Joe Kent, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has resigned in protest against the United States's military actions in Iran. He said he "cannot support actions that do not align with the facts." "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," he said.
Letter details
Kent accuses US journalists of spreading 'misinformation'
In his resignation letter, Kent accused "high-ranking Israeli officials" and influential US journalists of spreading "misinformation" that led Trump to undermine his "America First" platform. He said this misinformation made it seem like Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States. "This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women," Kent said.
Letter conclusion
Kent's letter calls on Trump to 'reverse course'
"I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives," he added. Kent's resignation letter also called on Trump to "reverse course" on the Iran war. Kent, a veteran of US special forces and the CIA, lost his wife in a suicide bombing in Syria in 2019.
Profile
Kent is a long-time supporter of Trump's
Kent, a former political candidate with ties to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his position in July on a 52-44 vote. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory claiming government agents instigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, as well as bogus assertions that Trump won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Dems
Kent had deployed 11 times overseas
Democrats vigorously opposed Kent's confirmation, citing his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. At the National Counterterrorism Center, he reported to Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, and oversaw the analysis and detection of potential terrorist threats. Kent had deployed 11 times with the US military, including with the US Army's special forces in Iraq. He later became a paramilitary officer at the CIA before leaving the agency after his wife died.