This week on “Face the Nation,” January 5, 2020

FAN Editor

Iran tensions on the rise

The United States will deploy nearly 3,000 more troops to the Middle East following a U.S. airstrike that killed a top Iranian military leader, American defense officials announced Friday.

Late Thursday night, the commander of Iran’s Quds Forces, Qassem Soleimani, was killed in an airstrike in Baghdad. In a break from long-standing intelligence practices, President Trump ordered the Defense Department to confirm the U.S. was behind the attack.

Defense officials accused Soleimani of “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region.” According to a senior administration official, multiple attacks were being planned against U.S. military and facilities in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq that would have resulted in the death of “hundreds.”

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described this threat to American lives as “imminent,” but said the U.S. “remains committed to de-escalation.” President Trump reiterated that stance on Friday, saying, “we took action last night to stop a war, we did not take action to start a war.”

The U.S. deployed 750 troops earlier this week after Iranian-backed militia attacked the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. The Defense Department blames Soleimani for approving the violent demonstrations and orchestrating a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that killed an American defense contractor last month.

CBS News senior national security contributor and former deputy CIA director Michael Morell warned that the targeted strike on Soleimani will lead to “dead civilian Americans” as Iran has vowed to take “crushing revenge” against the U.S.


“Face the Nation” Guest Lineup:

  • Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (@SecPompeo)
  • Gen. David Petraeus (Ret) Former Commander in Chief of Central Command,
    Former CIA director
  • Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida (@marcorubio), Foreign Relations Committee
  • Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Connecticut (@ChrisMurphyCT), Foreign Relations Committee
  • Tom Perez, DNC Chair (@TomPerez
  • CBS News Foreign Correspondent Holly Williams reports from Iraq

And, as always, we’ll turn to our political panel for some perspective on the week:

  • Michael Crowley (@markgalli) of The New York Times
  • Robin Wright (@wrightr) of The New Yorker, Wilson Center
  • CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin (@CBSDavidMartin)

How to watch “Face the Nation”

  • Date: Sunday, January 5, 2020

  • TV: “Face the Nation” airs Sunday mornings on CBS. Click here for your local listings

  • Radio: Subscribe to “Face the Nation” from CBS Radio News to listen on-the-go

  • Free online stream: Watch a rebroadcast of the show on CBS’ streaming network CBSN at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. ET.

With the latest news and analysis from Washington, don’t miss Margaret Brennan (@margbrennan) this Sunday on “Face the Nation” (@FaceTheNation). 

And for the latest from America’s premier public affairs program, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

CBS News’ Richard Escobedo contributed   

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