On Saturday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Velshi,” NBC News Chief International Correspondent Keir Simmons reacted to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan praising the death of Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil in a recent Israeli strike as a positive outcome because it means that Aqil was brought to justice for his involvement in the Beirut barracks bombing in 1983 that killed 241 American military personnel by stating that “Of course, this, what is an assassination is not bringing somebody to justice.”
While discussing recent Israeli strikes, Simmons said, “The Israeli Defense Forces saying that the strike killed 16 Hezbollah members, including 12 senior commanders, now, Ali, among those commanders, Ibrahim Aqil. This is a Hezbollah commander who, according to the U.S., was responsible back in the 1980s — in 1983, was connected to the bombing of the Israeli — of the American embassy here and barracks. And we just actually heard from National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, he’s described Ibrahim Aqil as having American blood on his hands, and says, any time a terrorist who has killed Americans is brought to justice, that is a good outcome. Of course, this, what is an assassination is not bringing somebody to justice. He wasn’t pressed on that.”
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