Ron Wyden: “The Senator again makes a legitimate point, but what we are talking about now, it seems to me--and this is what the CIA…”

“The Senator again makes a legitimate point, but what we are talking about now, it seems to me--and this is what the CIA is talking about in their letter of October 7--is an imminent threat to the American people. It is very clear that conflict is a hostile one. It is one that must be countered. It is being countered today. I do not take a backseat to any Member of the Senate in terms of supporting our troops, our military, in terms of countering that conflict. But the question for the Senate then becomes whether a conflict like that should translate into support in this body for a resolution that would authorize a unilateral preemptive strike. In spite of all of the attacks which the distinguished Senator from Virginia has mentioned--and they are very serious ones--as of October 7 of this year, the CIA did not believe there was an imminent threat to our country. I assume in making that judgment before the Intelligence Committee, if they had felt the attacks the Senator was talking about are dispositive, they would not have written that letter.”