Ernst Statement on Killing of al-Qaeda Leader

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding a successful U.S. counterterrorism mission to kill al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri:

"When allowed to do their jobs, we have the most advanced and lethal military and covert operations forces in the world. Al-Zawahiri led al-Qaeda for over a decade and has the blood of far too many U.S. servicemembers and innocent civilians on his hands. I commend the dedicated planning and execution of this successful mission.

“Our charge to protect the United States requires an enduring commitment and clear strategy to monitor, contain, and ultimately, eliminate threats – like this terrorist – to our homeland.”

###