U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a prominent leftist figure, learned of the United States’ attacks on Iran during a speech in Texas.
Sanders, a vocal opponent of American support for Israel’s activities in the Middle East, was handed a paper containing President Trump’s statement about the strikes. After a few moments of shaking his head in disbelief, he immediately declared the actions to be “illegal and unconstitutional.” He emphasized that, under U.S. law, only Congress can authorize entry into war, as reported by Klix.ba.
The audience responded with boos and chants of “no more war.”
Just two days prior, Sanders had sharply criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stating that he had been “very wrong” about the Middle East for decades. In a press release, Sanders referenced Netanyahu’s 2002 statements advocating for a war with Iraq.
“There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein is seeking nuclear weapons. If you eliminate Saddam’s regime, I guarantee you it will have a positive impact,” Sanders quoted Netanyahu as saying.
Sanders then asserted that the Israeli Prime Minister was mistaken: “Netanyahu was very wrong. The war in Iraq resulted in 4,492 American soldiers killed and over 32,000 wounded. It also cost us over three trillion dollars. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died due to this tragic war. Netanyahu was wrong about the war in Iraq. He is wrong now. We must not interfere in Netanyahu’s war against Iran,” Sanders concluded.
