US counterterrorism chief resigns: "Iran posed no imminent threat"

WashingtonThe third week of the war against Iran comes with the resignation of Joe Kent, head of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center. This is the first public resignation within the administration due to disagreement with the conflict and because Donald Trump's failure to keep his America First promise. "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel through its American lobby," Kent wrote in his statement published Tuesday on social media, where he asserts that he cannot "have a clear conscience" supporting the administration. Kent denounces Israeli pressure and influence that led Trump to abandon his campaign promises, such as not involving the country in any other foreign conflict, and criticizes him for abandoning his America First agenda. "Earlier in this administration, senior Israeli officials and influential members of the American media conducted a disinformation campaign to undermine your America First platform and stir up pro-war sentiment to encourage war against Iran," Kent argues. The officer echoes the historic proclamation of "Death to bad government, long live the king," and does not blame Trump for the decision to start the war, but rather those around him. Kent, addressing the president directly, warns him that his inner circle has created an "echo chamber" that influenced his decision. The former head of counterterrorism is known for his connections to the American far right, and his arguments should be taken with a grain of salt, especially regarding the accusations against Israel. While it's true that AIPAC wields power within American politics, and that Benjamin Netanyahu has been working to drag the United States into a war against Iran, the final decision has always rested with Trump.

Close to white supremacy

At the time, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Western States Center (WSC) They asked the Senate not to ratify Kent. as director of counterterrorism for his connections to the far right and white supremacy. Both organizations, which monitor extremist movements in the US, warned that Kent "has embraced discredited anti-government conspiracy theories," and emphasized his Islamophobic stances and their sympathy for anti-SemitismIn an interview with streamer Greyson Arnold, Kent asserted that Hitler was "a complicated historical figure that many people misunderstand." In his letter of denunciation, Kent uses rhetoric that resonates with the antisemitic stances of a segment of the American far right regarding Jews. Thus, the officer tells the president that "this echo chamber was used to deceive you into believing that Iran was an imminent threat [...] to the nation. We cannot repeat that mistake." "I cannot support sending people to fight and die in a war that benefits Americans in no way and does not justify the cost in American lives," he states. He adds, "I implore you to reflect on what we are doing in Iran and for whom we are doing it." Kent's resignation comes as at least 8 American soldiers have already been killed and some 200 wounded in the conflict

Trump responds with attacks

Kent is not the only member of the Trump administration with ties to white supremacy: Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is also known for his association with it. Thus, despite the biased arguments, the public defection from the Trump administration over the war against Iran crystallizes the movement's divisions in a new arena: the White House. Until now, the few critical voices against Trump have come from Congress: Marjorie Taylor Greene—who already resigned her seat after clashing over the Epstein case—and Congressman Thomas Massie. Trump's reaction was swift, and as he has done on other occasions, he displayed his contempt for internal criticism. Speaking to reporters, the president said it was "good" that Kent resigned because, nevertheless, "he was very weak on security."

Within the Trump administration, silence has been the general rule, as on so many other occasions when the president has contradicted his campaign promises. Figures like Vice President JD Vance, known for his isolationism, have maintained a low profile since the conflict began. During his public debut at the cRepublican convention, Vance, who served asmarinein IraqHe disavowed Bush and called the war "wrong".