Washington [US], March 12: Several Democrats in the United States emerged from a classified briefing about the war on Iran, saying they still have little clarity about President Donald Trump's justifications and end goals, even 11 days into the conflict.
"I emerge from this briefing as dissatisfied and angry, frankly, as I have from any past briefing in my 15 years," said Senator Richard Blumenthal, following Tuesday's briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Their statements marked the latest wave of condemnation from congressional Democrats, who have a slim minority in the Senate and the US House of Representatives.
Party members in both chambers had recently voted in near unison on resolutions seeking to halt the war, which the US and Israel launched on February 28. But their efforts to pass a "war powers resolution" to rein in Trump failed amid widespread Republican opposition.
More recently, Democrats have pledged to delay proceedings in the Senate unless top officials from the Department of State and the Pentagon testify under oath about the war.
Following Tuesday's briefing, Democrats like Blumenthal argued that the Trump administration owes the US public more clarity about the war. Blumenthal added that the meeting piqued concerns that US forces may be deployed to either Iraq or Iran. "I am left with more questions than answers, especially about the cost of the war," he said.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, meanwhile, said that the Trump administration "cannot explain the reasons that we entered this war, the goals we're trying to accomplish and the methods for doing that".
She also pointed to the high cost of the military operations against Iran, which some have estimated to exceed $5.6bn in the first two days alone.
Source: Qatar Tribune
