WASHINGTON, May 14 – In response to news reports that the Department of Defense presented the Trump Administration with a military plan that proposes sending as many as 120,000 troops to the Middle East to counter Iran, Senator Sanders (I-Vt,) issued a live address, streamed on Facebook and Twitter:
“Let me be as clear as I can be: a war with Iran would be an absolute disaster,” said Sanders. “Sixteen years ago, the United States committed one of the worst foreign policy blunders in the history of our country by attacking Iraq. That war was sold to the American people based on a series of lies about weapons of mass destruction. We should remember that one of the leading advocates for that war was John Bolton.
“And now, based on the disaster that he helped bring about in Iraq, it appears that John Bolton wants a war in Iran. Let’s be clear: a war with Iran would be many times worse than the Iraq war. U.S. military leaders have repeatedly told us that.
“The United States Congress must do everything it can to prevent a war with Iran. And by the way, the Constitution of the United States is very clear. I am committed to ensuring that majorities of the House of Representatives and the Senate make clear that before the president takes any military action, in Iran or anywhere else, he must seek authorization from Congress. Taking us into a war without Congressional authorization would be unconstitutional and illegal.”
