~ On the resignation of NCTC Director Joe Kent ~

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement:

“Joe Kent’s record is deeply troubling, and in my view he never should have been confirmed to lead the National Counterterrorism Center. I strongly disagree with many of the positions he has espoused over the years, particularly those that risk politicizing our intelligence community.

“But on this point, he is right: there was no credible evidence of an imminent threat from Iran that would justify rushing the United States into another war of choice in the Middle East.

“Ignoring the facts to pursue a predetermined war puts American lives at risk and undermines our national security. The United States cannot be led into conflict on the basis of politics, impulse, or a president’s desire for confrontation. We have seen where this road leads before.”