Help me understand, gentle readers. Why would any Democrat go on Fox and Friends first thing Monday morning to back up Trump's war tweets? And why would any Democrat utter the following words in response to Yemen blowing the crap out of a Saudi Arabian oil facility: "This may well be the thing that calls for military action against Iran, if that's what the intelligence supports."'
Yes, that is Delaware Senator Chris Coons, serving himself up on Fox & Friends to monger some war with Iran, just like the jerk in the White House. Forget about the Saudis, their corruption, the way MBS pals around with Jared Kushner, the way they wantonly murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, chopped him up in pieces and dumped the body parts wherever they dumped them. Forget the way they murder Yemeni children in the name of religion. Forget it all because oil is the point.
I expect that kind of idiocy from Republicans, but no Democrat anywhere should, in this day and age, let those words drop from his lips.
Here are two reasons why what he said is wrong. First, because the United States is not required to respond to one country's aggression against another in a declared war that has been going on for years. See Senator Chris Murphy's thread here for the backstory on Yemen and Saudi Arabia and why we should not, under any circumstances, be sucked into an absurd war with Iran over it. And secondly, because a war with Iran would be a disastrous beginning to World War III and no Democrat anywhere should be uttering the words "military action" with regard to Iran.
MoveOn has already issued a strong rebuke. “Senator Coons going on Fox and giving ammunition to Trump administration war hawks who are trying to push the U.S. into a costly, avoidable war with Iran is shameful and beyond dangerous," they wrote in a statement. "His comments this morning, within a context of inconclusive intelligence and innuendo, were reckless."
Yes, they were.
"Senators need to be putting brakes on the march to war, not fueling it—and need to be demanding the U.S. not take its marching orders from the Saudi regime," they warned. "MoveOn members in Delaware are reaching out to Senator Coons today and asking him to pursue diplomacy, not war. We can only hope he listens. Millions of lives depend on it.”
Amen. Get with the program, Senator Coons. Today.
UPDATE: Well, apparently he's not quite with the program, but it sounds like he's trying to finesse, if his statement is any indication:
“Following the recent attacks on oil fields in Saudi Arabia, I am concerned by President Trump’s statement that he is ‘waiting to hear from the Kingdom as to who they believe was the cause of this attack, and under what terms we would proceed.’ If President Trump wants to take any military action in response to the attacks, he needs to brief Congress on the relevant intelligence and make the case to Congress and the American people that a military response is necessary and justified.
“Under our Constitution, the President cannot wage war unless there is an imminent threat to the United States or Americans abroad. Military force should be the last resort. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia have had an important partnership for decades, but Saudi Arabia is not a treaty ally, and the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the conduct of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen have strained our relationship.
“Still, Iran is the world’s top state sponsor of terrorism and continues to destabilize the Middle East in places like Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. U.S. military power helps to deter Iran from taking additional military action through its proxies. If intelligence proves Iranian responsibility for these recent attacks on Saudi Arabia, we should weigh our options carefully and consult with our regional and European allies and partners, which will only strengthen our response.”
As if we have any partners left after this disastrous three years of Trump. Not good enough. Coons needs to reverse the entire statement. We don't need a foolish war with Iran. Period.
