Rep. Courtney Statement on Israel-Iran War

NORWICH, CT ­– Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) released the following statement in response the conflict between Israel and Iran, and potential U.S. involvement:

“Four-star Army General David Petraeus' famous 2003 maxim about the Iraq War, ‘tell me how this ends’, should be at the forefront in the mind of every American, particularly President Trump and Members of Congress, as the war between Israel and Iran escalates. Israel’s sovereign decision to strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure does not automatically obligate our military to join this conflict. U.S. and European support for Israeli air defense, which has been provided repeatedly in the last 3 years, is far different from engaging in U.S. air strikes in Iran, such as B-2 bomber attacks with ‘bunker busting bombs’, as is being contended. We know from bitter experience in Iraq and Afghanistan that it is far easier to start a U.S. war in the Middle East than to end one. Such a profound action is clearly a declaration of war and should be made by Congress under Article One, Section 8, of the Constitution, not by the President alone. The United States should remain committed to pursuing a diplomatic solution to ending this conflict and Iran's nuclear program."

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