News Information and Media Site: The fallout from the airstrike that killed a top Iranian leader

From NBC's Ben Kamisar

If it's Sunday, are Americans better off now that a top Iranian general is dead?

That's the argument Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered on Sunday's "Meet the Press," arguing that the administration would have been "culpably negligent" if it didn't take out Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani last week.

"There were, in fact, plots that he was working on that were aimed directly at significant harm to American interests throughout the region."

—Pompeo on MTP

But while Pompeo declared he's "100 percent" certain Americans are safer now because of the strike, the assessment from Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, was mixed.

Warner argued that while there may have been a "short-term benefit" to the strike, that the "jury is really out" as to the "smartness" of the decision.

Warner's concerns cut along three lines:

The attack may undo the anti-Iranian sentiment in the region and prompt an anti-American sentiment.
The lack of congressional consultation may have cost the administration buy-in as well as an important perspective.
And the decision not to consult allies could hurt America's relationships with partner countries.

Click on the photos below to watch the full interviews with Pompeo and Warner.

2020 VISION: Warren connects Soleimani strike to impeachment

Many Democrats are concerned about what the strike means for stability in the region.

But Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren raised another concern — a "Wag the Dog" theory.

During her MTP interview, Warren questioned whether the strike had anything to do with the impending impeachment trial in the Senate, arguing that Trump has already been "advancing his own personal political interest" with official actions like his phone call with the president of Ukraine.

"People are starting to ask, why now did he do this? Why not delay? And why this one is so dangerous is ... he is truly taking us right to the edge of war."

—Warren on MTP

Click on the photo below to watch the full interview with Warren.

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