Farcical Bernie Sanders Call for Withdrawing US Forces from Yemen
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
Washington has been waging drone war on Yemen for the past 20 years – since the Bill and Hillary Clinton co-presidency, on the phony pretext of combating al-Qaeda America created and supports.
A symbolic measure introduced by Sanders together with Senators Chris Murphy and Mike Lee, calls for “forc(ing) a first-ever vote in the Senate to withdraw US armed forces from an unauthorized war,” Sanders saying:
“We believe that, as Congress has not declared war or authorized military force in this conflict, the United States involvement in Yemen is unconstitutional and unauthorized, and US military support of the Saudi coalition must end.”
“That is why today we are introducing a joint resolution pursuant to the 1973 War Powers Resolution calling for an end to U.S. support for the Saudi war in Yemen.”
The measure failed to call for halting sales of weapons and munitions to Saudi Arabia. It said nothing about ending longstanding US drone war, operating from bases outside the country.
Like others in Washington and Western media, Sanders failed to explain only Security Council members can authorize war, not presidents, prime ministers, Congress or courts – permitted only in self-defense in response to an attack or imminent one, never preemptively for any reason.
Sanders is no peacenik, far from it. He votes 98% of the time with other undemocratic Dems, supporting their war on humanity at home and abroad.
As a House member from 1991 – 2007 and senator for the past 11 years, he’s been notoriously pro-war, a hawk masquerading as dovish.
He backed genocidal sanctions on Iraq from 1990 – 2003, responsible for the deaths of 1.2 million children under age-five. Humanitarian coordinators for Iraq Hans von Sponeck and Denis Halliday resigned, refusing to be parties to genocide Sanders pretended not to notice.
He supported the Clinton co-presidency rape of Yugoslavia, the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) on the phony pretext of combating global terrorism Washington created and supports – waging state terrorism worldwide.
Though rhetorically against Bush’s Iraq war, he voted for the March 21, 2003 resolution stating:
“Congress expresses the unequivocal support and appreciation of the nation to the President as Commander-in-Chief for his firm leadership and decisive action in the conduct of military operations in Iraq as part of the ongoing Global War on Terrorism.”
He supports illegal Afghan and Iraqi occupations, saying “I don’t think you can do (an) immediate withdrawal…I don’t think that’s practical” – failing to denounce Washington’s unlawful presence in both countries, waging endless wars, along with supporting ISIS and other terrorist foot soldiers.
He backs Israeli occupation harshness, its multiple wars of aggression on Gaza, its suffocating blockade, opposing Palestinian statehood based on pre-1967 borders – 22% of historic Palestine.
He supported the 2006 Iran Freedom Support Act – authorizing funding for groups wanting Tehran’s sovereign independence replaced by pro-Western puppet rule.
He voted for the 2014 Ukraine Freedom Support Act – authorizing lethal and other aid for US-installed, Nazi-infested putschists, masquerading as legitimate governance.
They continue waging war on their own people while committing horrendous human rights abuses against anyone resisting their tyranny.
Like the vast majority of other House and Senate members, Sanders is a reliable spear carrier for Washington’s imperial agenda.
He’s silent about its rape and destruction of one country after another at the cost of millions of casualties and vast destruction.
He failed to denounce US-led aggression in Syria, its mass slaughter and destruction of Raqqa, a similar operation in Mosul, Iraq – both campaigns responsible for tens of thousands of civilian deaths, victims of US imperial ruthlessness Sanders supports.
He never condemned US military force – illegal naked aggression each time launched, defenseless civilians harmed most.
He supported regime change in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere, endorsed “get(ting) rid of Assad” – Syria’s legitimately reelected president in June 2014.
He called for prosecuting Edward Snowden for connecting important dots for millions about lawless NSA spying.
He’s hostile to immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, urging visa restrictions or suspensions – on the phony pretext of protecting US jobs he doesn’t care a hoot about, pretending otherwise.
He’s progressive and socialist in name only, a hardcore undemocratic Dem during roll call voting on key and other issues.
He’s a colossal fraud. Undemocratic Dems erred in not choosing him over widely despised Hillary.
He’s ideal for the nation’s highest office – able to fool most people most of the time like Obama.
He likely would have handily defeated Trump, as president serving the interests of US dark forces while pretending to be populist and progressive.
Perhaps Dems will nominate him in 2020 – or maybe at age 79 it’ll be too late. It’s too soon to know.
Everyone chosen for president, congressional leadership positions, and the federal bench is vetted to be sure they’ll continue dirty business as usual.
Sanders is ideal like Obama – part of what the late Edward Herman called “the cruise missile left.”
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My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
