In this episode of the CAFE Insider podcast, “What Quds Go Wrong?,” co-hosts Preet Bharara and Anne Milgram break down the latest developments:

-- The targeted killing of Iranian General Qassem Suleimani, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force

-- John Bolton's statement that he's prepared to testify in the Senate impeachment trial if he's subpoenaed

We hope you’re enjoying CAFE Insider. Email us at [email protected] with your suggestions and questions for Preet and Anne. 

REFERENCES & SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS

KILLING OF QASEM SULEIMANI

• Statement by the Department of Defense on the killing of Qasem Soleimani, 1/2/20
• “Timeline: How The U.S. Came To Strike And Kill A Top Iranian General,” National Public Radio, 1/4/20
• “As Tensions With Iran Escalated, Trump Opted for Most Extreme Measure,” New York Times, 1/4/20
• Lisa Monaco: “We are in uncharted territory now. Are we prepared for that?,” Washington Post, 1/6/20
• Trump tweet about a disproportionate response, 1/5/20
• “Trump Threatens Iranian Cultural Sites, and Warns of Sanctions on Iraq,” New York Times, 1/5/20
• “Trump Says He'll Target Iran's Cultural Sites. That's Illegal,” National Public Radio, 1/6/20
• WATCH: Meet the Press, featuring Jeh Johnson, 1/5/20 (~36:00 min)

WAS THE STRIKE LEGAL?

• Article II of The Constitution, Legal Information Institute
• Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), 2001
• Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq Resolution, 2002
• Jack Goldsmith: “The Soleimani Strike: One Person Decides,” Lawfare, 1/3/20
• “Did the President Have the Domestic Legal Authority to Kill Qassem Soleimani?,” Lawfare, 1/3/20
• “The key word in U.S. justifications for the killing of Iranian general: ‘Imminent,’” Washington Post, 1/5/20

SDNY’S QUDS FORCE CASES

• Complaint: United States v. Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri, 10/11/11
• WATCH: “Terror Plot Charges,” C-SPAN, 10/11/11
• “Two Men Charged in Alleged Plot to Assassinate Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States,” Department of Justice, 10/11/11
• “U.S. Indicts 7 Iranians in Cyberattacks on Banks and a Dam,” New York Times, 3/24/16

IMPEACHMENT

• Statement of John R. Bolton regarding congressional testimony, 1/6/20
• Sen. Marco Rubio’s tweet about Bolton’s testimony, 1/6/20
• “What they're saying: Romney, Collins respond to Bolton's offer to testify,” Axios, 1/6/20
• “Judges spar with Democrats, DOJ in impeachment doubleheader,” Politico, 1/3/20
• “Joe Biden Says He Would Comply With a Senate Subpoena, Reversing Course,” New York Times, 12/28/19