Counterterror Official Resigns Over War03/17 09:12

   Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced 
his resignation on Tuesday, saying he "cannot in good conscience" back the 
Trump administration's war in Iran.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism 
Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he "cannot in good 
conscience" back the Trump administration's war in Iran.

   Kent said on social media Iran "posed no imminent threat to our nation, and 
it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its 
powerful American lobby."

   Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing 
extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.

   As head of the National Counterterrorism Center, Kent was in charge of an 
agency tasked with analyzing and detecting terrorist threats.

   Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two 
unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the 
military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.

   Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to 
far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional 
campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group 
the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, 
the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted 
support from a variety of far-right figures.

   During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance 
himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the Jan. 6, 
2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, 
won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.

   Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that 
was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.

   Still, Republicans praised Kent's counterterrorism qualifications, pointing 
to his military and intelligence experience.

   Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a 
floor speech that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and 
keeping Americans safe."