Gordon Fielden

This man has just unravelled himself on national television, claiming that he has never heard Donald Trump tell a lie. He has no credibility whatsoever after making such a statement.

This motion has not failed. It has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it remains subject to consideration. That is plainly not the same as a vote rejecting the allegations, nor does it amount to an exoneration of the Secretary of Defense.

The present Congress remains constituted until 3 January. Thereafter, the incoming Democratic House will be fully entitled to introduce fresh articles of impeachment should it decide that the evidence warrants them. The referral may have delayed the matter, but it has neither resolved it nor caused it to disappear.

As the new Israeli Parliament is sworn in and a new Prime Minister takes office, one thing is clear: it will not be Benjamin Netanyahu.

This is another disaster for Donald Trump. Yet another far right extremist leader has been removed by the people of his own country. We have seen it in Hungary and South America, and it is becoming a repeated pattern.

Netanyahu must now face the criminal proceedings in Tel Aviv for fraud and other alleged offences, cases which were put on hold during the emergency while he remained Prime Minister.

It is also unwelcome news for the impeached US Secretary of Defence. A new Israeli government is far more likely to reduce tensions with Iran as it seeks to restore Israel’s standing in the world.

A good day for democracy once more. Last week it was the midterms. Now it is Israel.

The Israeli people now have a new Prime Minister and a new government. The fascists and extremists, Benjamin Netanyahu and his cohorts from the far-right parties, are out of government.

One hopes that the authorities act quickly to arrest Netanyahu and bring him before the court on his corruption charges, because this man is hanging on by a thread. Hopefully, once that court case has been dealt with, he will be sent on to the International Criminal Court to face the war-crime charges.

Most of all, Donald Trump has lost another of his far-right allies. They are falling all over the place now, as the world realises that far-right extremists have been trying to take over everywhere.

It is time for us in the United Kingdom to recognise Nigel Farage and his group for what they are: part of that conspiracy group, coordinated through the United States and multi-billionaires.

That is precisely the point. These are not allegations brought by political opponents simply objecting to a military operation. The eight articles of impeachment were laid before Congress by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie.

They accuse you of taking the United States into war with Iran without a declaration of war, specific authorisation from Congress, or the circumstances required under the War Powers Resolution. They further allege that you continued the conflict after both Houses directed the removal of US forces, and beyond the statutory time limit.

The articles also raise allegations concerning civilian casualties, lethal strikes against suspected drug traffickers at sea, the alleged denial of rescue to survivors, retaliation against Senator Mark Kelly for protected speech, the seizure of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, and an unauthorised war in Yemen.

You are not being impeached for carrying out lawful and successful operations. You are being impeached because the resolution alleges that you broke the law, ignored Congress and failed in your constitutional duties as Secretary of Defence. You may be the first, but I doubt you will be the last from Trump’s administration.