Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office issued the following:
June 20, 2019
Gillibrand’s
Letter to Trump Comes as Members of Administration and Congress –
Including Advocates of the Iraq War – Are Urging the President to Send
Americans to Fight in a War with Iran; Trump Administration Has Already
Begun Sending More U.S. Troops and Weapon Systems to Gulf Region; Latest
Escalation Follows Increased Nuclear Risks Exacerbated by President
Trump’s Ill-Considered Unilateral Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear
Agreement; Gillibrand: Such a War is Not Authorized, Would Unnecessarily
Risk the Lives of Americans and Our Allies, Cause Enormous Human
Suffering, and Destabilize the Economy
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee,
today wrote a letter to President Donald J. Trump demanding that he not
send U.S. armed forces into a war with Iran unless authorized by
Congress or proportionate and necessary to counter a direct attack
against the United States. Gillibrand’s urgent call comes after alarming
reports continue to emerge that National Security Advisor John Bolton,
one of the chief advocates of the Iraq War, and others in the Trump
Administration and Congress, are pushing the President to send American
men and women to fight in an unnecessary and unauthorized war with Iran.
“When you were sworn in as President,
you inherited an Iran whose nuclear weapons ambitions were verifiably
constrained for a decade or more by international agreement. You have
shattered the strong coalition aligned against Iran in 2015 that brought
Iran to the negotiating table,” Gillibrand wrote.
“Against the backdrop of your Administration’s historic missteps, your
and your administration’s problematic statements, and military
escalation in the Gulf region, I am very concerned that the nation could
be dragged into a war with Iran under your leadership. Such a war is
not authorized, would unnecessarily risk the lives of Americans and our
allies, cause enormous human suffering, and destabilize the economy. The
country has been here before. The U.S. began the Iraq War based on
inaccurate information from John Bolton and others who claimed Saddam
Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Eighteen years after going into
Afghanistan, U.S. and allied troops are still there despite your
promise of withdrawal and long after completing their mission. I demand
that you not send U.S. armed forces into hostilities that are
disproportionate and unnecessary to counter a direct attack or not
authorized by Congress through a new AUMF.”
“From all indications, the Trump
administration appears determined to lead us down an escalatory path
towards a devastating, costly and completely avoidable war of choice
with Iran, a country three times the size of Iraq. It’s absolutely vital
that our congressional leaders stand up for America's interests and for
the US Constitution to make it clear that no military action against
Iran can be launched without congressional authorization,” said Dylan J. Williams, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, J Street.
“As we stand on the precipice of war
with Iran, Congress must send a clear warning of the danger, immorality
and illegality of another unnecessary and unauthorized war in the Middle
East. We appreciate Senator Gillibrand’s leadership to do just that,” said Diane Randall, Executive Secretary, FCNL.
In addition to Gillibrand’s demand that
President Trump not send American troops into an unnecessary and
unauthorized war, Gillibrand also called on the Trump Administration to
do the following:
a) Engage the international community in addressing the risks to navigation in the waterways close to Iran;
b) Return the United States to the JCPOA
if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors
continues to certify that Iran is in compliance with the agreement; and
c) Require your administration officials
to be clear that you are not advocating starting another war, which,
this time, would be with an adversary that is better equipped than the
Taliban, Saddam Hussein, or Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
Since taking office, President Trump and
his Administration have repeatedly taken steps to antagonize Iran,
undermine the international coalition that blocked Iran’s ability to
build a nuclear weapon, increase tensions to a dangerous level, and
potentially risk a war with Iran that would endanger American lives and
damage the American economy.
The full text of Senator Gillibrand’s letter is available here and below.
June 20, 2019
The Honorable Donald J. Trump
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Trump,
As a member of the Senate Armed Services
Committee, I am deeply concerned that your administration’s stepped up
military presence in the Middle East, in conjunction with your dangerous
and confusing rhetoric, may lead the United States into a protracted,
costly, and unnecessary war with Iran. Such a war is not authorized,
would unnecessarily risk the lives of Americans and our allies, cause
enormous human suffering, and destabilize the economy.
Iran is undoubtedly an adversary that
engages in dangerous behavior and had a largely unrestrained nuclear
program prior to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). But
you must not ignore the Constitution and subvert democracy by waging a
war that does not have the support of the American people, is not
authorized by their representatives, and risks American lives.
When you were sworn in as President, you
inherited an Iran whose nuclear weapons ambitions were verifiably
constrained for a decade or more by international agreement. A diverse
coalition of countries worked together to block Iran’s ability to build a
nuclear weapon and install an intrusive inspection regime.
Unfortunately, in part due to your ill-advised decision to abandon the
JCPOA, Iran is now poised to breach certain limits in the deal by the
end of the month. What is more, our closest allies in Europe --
frustrated by the unilateral, unjustified nature of the withdrawal from
the JCPOA -- have sought to establish measures to work around U.S.
sanctions. You have shattered the strong coalition aligned against Iran
in 2015 that brought Iran to the negotiating table.
Against the backdrop of your
Administration’s historic missteps, your and your administration’s
problematic statements, and military escalation in the Gulf region, I am
deeply concerned that the nation could be dragged into a war with Iran
under your leadership. You have threatened “consequences the likes of
which few throughout history have ever suffered before.” Your national
security advisor, John Bolton, known for being one of the advocates of
the Iraq War, had reportedly ordered the Pentagon to develop an earlier
plan for a 120,000 troop surge in the region. He has also threatened
"unrelenting force" against Iran. These statements, combined with
recent deployments, raise the specter of a miscalculation and
disproportionate response to Iranian aggression that could lead to
another unnecessary war.
The country has been here before. The
U.S. began the Iraq War based on inaccurate information from John Bolton
and others who claimed Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.
They were mistaken then, at great cost to the nation. Eighteen years
after going into Afghanistan, U.S. and allied troops are still there,
despite your promise of withdrawal and long after completing their
mission. And now your administration is reportedly considering using the
2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), passed in response
to the attack on our homeland on 9/11, for a completely unrelated
military action against Iran, which clearly would be outside the scope
and intent of that law.
I demand that you not send U.S. armed
forces into hostilities that are disproportionate and unnecessary to
counter a direct attack or not authorized by Congress through a new
AUMF.
I further urge that rather than embroil the U.S. in another war, you:
a) Engage the international community in addressing the risks to navigation in the waterways close to Iran;
b) Return the United States to the
JCPOA if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of
Governors continues to certify that Iran is in compliance with the
agreement; and
c) Require your administration
officials to be clear that you are not advocating starting another war,
which, this time, would be with an adversary that is better equipped
than the Taliban, Saddam Hussein, or Bashar al-Assad’s forces.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator