'World cannot afford war': U.S. Democrats respond to Iran missile strike

By David Morgan and Lawrence Hurley

 

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi leaves a house democratic leadership meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 7, 2020. REUTERS/ Leah Millis

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Congress and some of the party's presidential contenders warned on Tuesday about escalating conflict in the Middle East after Iran launched a retaliatory missile strike against U.S. forces in Iraq.

 

The news that Tehran had fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles against at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S.-led coalition personnel broke during a meeting of Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives.

 

The attack was in retaliation for last week's U.S. drone strike killing elite Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, according to a statement from Iran's Revolutionary Guards on state TV.

 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was handed a note about the attack during the meeting and left soon thereafter, according to people present.

 

"Closely monitoring the situation following bombings targeting U.S. troops in Iraq. We must ensure the safety of our service members, including ending needless provocations from the Administration and demanding that Iran cease its violence. America & world cannot afford war," Pelosi said on Twitter.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the attack on Soleimani on the grounds that the Iranian general was planning to attack Americans, without providing evidence.

 

Democrats have been critical of the decision, saying it would escalate tensions with Iran. They have called for Trump to seek approval from Congress before taking further military action, although the Republican-led Senate is unlikely to support any measure that would tie the president's hands.

 

"At this moment, my heart and my prayers are with our military and their families in Iraq and around the world," Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren said at an event in New York.

 

"But this is a reminder why we need to de-escalate tension in the Middle East. The American people do not want a war with Iran," she added.

 

Former Vice President Joe Biden, another candidate for the Democratic nomination to take on Trump in November's presidential election, said at an event outside Philadelphia that the attack was predictable and faulted Trump's handling of the situation.

 

"I just pray to God as he goes through what’s happening, as we speak, that he’s listening to his military commanders for the first time because so far that has not been the case," he added.

 

On news of the attack, "there was not surprise in the room," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who attended the meeting with Pelosi.

 

"Nobody laments the loss of Soleimani, he was a vicious terrorist that caused a lot of loss of life. But no one ought to be surprised that when you do that, there's a response," he said.

 

Republican U.S. Senator Marco Rubio called for unity, saying in a Twitter post that Iran wanted Americans to turn against one another .

 

"The time will come to debate U.S. policy. Tonight American & allied troops have come under direct attack by a nation-state & Americans must come together to support & protect them & respond appropriately," he said.

 

(Reporting by David Morgan and Lawrence Hurley; Additional reporting by Joseph Ax in New York; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-08

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THESE incredible images appear to show giant devil horns rising over the Persian Gulf during a solar eclipse.

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10694515/red-devil-horns-sunrise-photos-captured-rare-solar-eclipse-mirage/

Easy to sit in the opposition and say No to this that and everything the Rep and the president are doing after all this is what positions do, Obama the great appeaser and the author of the line in the sand, has assassinated Bin Laden when he had to, and even than there were talks about retaliation and retributions from Al Qaeda, so what the US and Trump to do when a country openly carry on megas scale hostilities against the US and its allies? just contain is continue to be humiliated and cope it in face and turn the other cheek?...

7 minutes ago, NCC1701A said:

THESE incredible images appear to show giant devil horns rising over the Persian Gulf during a solar eclipse.

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10694515/red-devil-horns-sunrise-photos-captured-rare-solar-eclipse-mirage/

If you ask Iran now they will tell you that these are the horns of the US the big satan and Israel the little satan...

Does anyone else find it strange that the protesters in Iran seem to have more U.S. flags than the Democratic party?

41 minutes ago, webfact said:

this is a reminder why we need to de-escalate tension in the Middle East.

Perhaps the Dems have a secret plan to do so. I'm agog with excitement waiting for it to be proposed.

4 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps the Dems have a secret plan to do so. I'm agog with excitement waiting for it to be proposed.

How about  stopping the economic warfare being waged on Iran by Trump?

1 hour ago, bristolboy said:

How about  stopping the economic warfare being waged on Iran by Trump?

Ah, appeasement is your solution. How did that work out for Chamberlain?

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Ah, appeasement is your solution. How did that work out for Chamberlain?

That analogy only works if  Chamberlain had provoked Hitler in the first place. Trump put policies into place that were expressly designed to lead to the overthrow of the Iranian government. Did Chamberlain do that to Hitler?

The infallible mark of a warlover is that they invoke Hitler when circumstances don't warrant it. It's one way of putting a hold on critical thinking.

22 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

That analogy only works if  Chamberlain had provoked Hitler in the first place. Trump put policies into place that were expressly designed to lead to the overthrow of the Iranian government. Did Chamberlain do that to Hitler?

The infallible mark of a warlover is that they invoke Hitler when circumstances don't warrant it. It's one way of putting a hold on critical thinking.

Nice deflection with the war lover accusation, but no cigar.

2 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Nice deflection with the war lover accusation, but no cigar.

Not a deflection. A diagnosis. And I note that you have no answer for that fact that your Chamberlain analogy is ridiculous.

27 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Not a deflection. A diagnosis. And I note that you have no answer for that fact that your Chamberlain analogy is ridiculous.

Not worth replying to.

What I used to hear was that American foreign policy and influence would go to make other countries more like us. Instead, we're becoming more like them. I can see in a couple of generations or so that the halls of power in the US will be a contest between the likes of Mustafa Trump and Ali Pelosi. 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

'World cannot afford war'

is whats being said while underneath .....without a war going on capitalism is dead

Europeans and American liberals like to spew rainbows and unicorns out their <deleted>'s but don't seem to understand the rest of the world isn't like that.  The rest of the world is made up of tough mother f***kers who are biting at the bit to take advantage of our weakness. They are like biting soi dogs and will continue bite until put down. We all know there is only one way to deal with a biting soi dog. If you think for a minute you can walking up to it gently and petting it will stop it trying to bite you. Go ahead and try let me know what happens.

 

The strong will always take advantage of the weak that is in our nature and will never change.

Just now, Sakeopete said:

Europeans and American liberals like to spew rainbows and unicorns out their <deleted>'s but don't seem to understand the rest of the world isn't like that.  The rest of the world is made up of tough mother f***kers who are biting at the bit to take advantage of our weakness. They are like biting soi dogs and will continue bite until put down. We all know there is only one way to deal with a biting soi dog. If you think for a minute you can walking up to it gently and petting it will stop it trying to bite you. Go ahead and try let me know what happens.

 

The strong will always take advantage of the weak that is in our nature and will never change.

Funny. When I imagine a biting soi dog as a human, the person I see is Donald Trump. 

4 hours ago, bristolboy said:

How about  stopping the economic warfare being waged on Iran by Trump?

 

Yes, giving in to radical religious and political fanatics by appeasing them and trying to buy them off has always worked so well in the past.

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps the Dems have a secret plan to do so. I'm agog with excitement waiting for it to be proposed.

They already did it. Then along came trump. And here we are.

1 minute ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Yes, giving in to radical religious and political fanatics by appeasing them and trying to buy them off has always worked so well in the past.

What buying them off? Iran resisted the Obama administration program to get them to give up nuclear weapon development for years. They finally submitted. It's the Trump administration that has the world on the brink of war. 

And if you're so concerned about religious fanatics, what about Trump's premature withdrawal from Syria? Isis redux?

Apparently your only concern is Shia fundamentalism whereas Sunni fundamentalism is far more dangerous and intolerant. But that gets funding from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. So it doesn't matter.

6 hours ago, bristolboy said:

How about  stopping the economic warfare being waged on Iran by Trump?

I see, let them build the nukes and carry on with their terrorist groups like they have in the past? Gee, why didn't Trump think of that??

5 hours ago, bristolboy said:

That analogy only works if  Chamberlain had provoked Hitler in the first place. Trump put policies into place that were expressly designed to lead to the overthrow of the Iranian government. Did Chamberlain do that to Hitler?

The infallible mark of a warlover is that they invoke Hitler when circumstances don't warrant it. It's one way of putting a hold on critical thinking.

Presumably by "critical thinking", you mean "how can we find a way to criticise Trump."

trump has the same disapproval rating as president as he has for starting a potential war with Iran.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/americans-increasingly-critical-trumps-record-215947631.html

Quote

'World cannot afford war': U.S. Democrats respond to Iran missile strike

 

Trump can....

 

He's rich (or so he keeps claiming to everyone).

 

Plus, now, he has his own bunker to go hide in...  

The world may be not but the US absolutely can. They can just print as many dollars as necessary and are separated by an entire ocean from the consequences of their warmongering. So why the hell not. 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

"Nobody laments the loss of Soleimani, he was a vicious terrorist that caused a lot of loss of life. But no one ought to be surprised that when you do that, there's a response," he said.

And now he's got one... balls back in his court!

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Perhaps the Dems have a secret plan to do so. I'm agog with excitement waiting for it to be proposed.

 

As per Pelosi's Obamacare speech...you have tp pass it to see what's in it...no doubt.

Im guessing they'll only know if they control house, senate and White House. 

Then it's back to there old ways...selling out American interests to the highest bidders.

Un approved conspiracy website link and post removed

A little off subject but is there a 'good' picture of Pelosi anywhere?

1 hour ago, earlinclaifornia said:

trump has the same disapproval rating as president as he has for starting a potential war with Iran.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/americans-increasingly-critical-trumps-record-215947631.html

You are quoting yahoo news? Hillarious!

1 minute ago, rgraham said:

You are quoting yahoo news? Hillarious!

Post a reliable web site. I 'm now quite curios what you might offer me?