[Peace-discuss] JTA: De Blasio rebuked Beto on war powers; Gabbard rebuked Tim Ryan on Afghanistan

[Robert Naiman]

De Blasio, taking the "hard line" on war powers among Democrats, insisted
that under the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution, Congress has to
authorize first, *even for a so-called "humanitarian war," like Libya
2011. *

Tulsi Gabbard called out Tim Ryan for using "engagement" as a euphemism for
"putting U.S. soldiers into a situation where they will be killed for no
reason."

https://www.jta.org/2019/06/26/politics/cory-booker-was-the-only-democrat-at-the-first-debate-who-didnt-commit-to-rejoining-the-iran-deal

Cory Booker was the only Democrat at the first debate who didn’t commit to
rejoining the Iran deal
BY RON KAMPEAS  JUNE 26, 2019 10:39 PM

WASHINGTON (JTA <http://jta.org/>) — Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., was alone
among the 10 Democratic presidential candidates at the first debate not to
commit to rejoining the Iran nuclear deal.

Moderators at the debate Wednesday evening in Miami asked the candidates
whether they would rejoin the deal President Donald Trump abandoned a year
ago. It swapped sanctions relief for a rollback of Iran’s nuclear program.

Booker was the only one not to raise his hand.

The others who did raise their hands are: former U.S. Reps. Beto O’Rourke
of Texas and John Delaney of Maryland; current U.S. Reps. Tulsi Gabbard of
Hawaii and Tim Ryan of Ohio; Washington Gov. Jay Inslee; Sens. Elizabeth
Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota; New York Mayor Bill
De Blasio; and former Housing Secretary Julian Castro.

Moderator Savannah Guthrie framed the question by noting the recent
escalation between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz,
through which transits 40 percent of the world’s oil. Trump came close last
week to ordering a strike on Iran
<https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/strikes-on-iran-ordered-by-trump-aborted-at-last-minute>
after
an unmanned American drone was shut down.

Booker nevertheless said Trump was wrong to pull out of the deal, which
made Iran’s nuclear program more transparent.

“Donald Trump is marching us to a far more dangerous situation,” Booker
said.

But he said he would not automatically reenter it, and would instead
negotiate for a better deal.

“I’m not going to stand up on a primary stage and announce that I am
unilaterally or de facto go back into the deal,” Booker told CNN after the
debate.

Booker voted for the deal in 2015, alienating some of his backers in the
pro-Israel community.

Klobuchar and Gabbard, the only others who were permitted to speak on the
issue, also said they would seek better terms. Klobuchar said she would
seek longer “sunset” provisions to the deal — meaning longer periods of
time during which Iran is not allowed to get back to uranium enrichment.
Gabbard said she would seek to include missile development into the deal.

Later the same evening, the candidates were asked to name the greatest
geopolitical challenge — most named China. Only Klobuchar mentioned the
Middle East.

The only significant foreign policy difference that emerged among the
candidates came when they were asked if the United States should intervene
in a genocide if American lives were not threatened.

Beto O’Rourke was the first to be asked to take the question, and he said
that he believed America should intervene, but only as part of an alliance.

“That action should always be undertaken with allies and partners and
friends,” he said.

De Blasio rebuked O’Rourke, saying any president should seek the approval
of Congress.

“We should be ready, congressman, to intervene, god forbid if there is a
genocide but not without congressional approval,” he said.

Moderators then pivoted to Ryan, asking him about whether the United States
should remain in Afghanistan, noting that two U.S. soldiers were killed in
that country on Wednesday. Ryan said Afghanistan posed a continued threat,
prompting a rebuke from Gabbard, a veteran whose most distinguishing policy
is her isolationism.

“Is that what you will tell the parents of those two soldiers killed in
Afghanistan, ‘We have to be engaged’?” she said. “As a soldier, I have to
tell you that’s unacceptable.”
===

Robert Reuel Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
(202) 448-2898 x1
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