ARLINGTON, Va.—Concerned veterans for America Senior Advisor and Iraq War veteran, Dan Caldwell, released this statement following President Trump’s address to the nation following the Iranian ballistic missile attack on bases housing American troops in Iraq:
“We urge President Trump to avoid an unnecessary war with Iran and to follow through on his stated desire to pursue a diplomatic path. The Trump Administration should embark on a new strategy in the Middle East that ends our involvement in the endless wars in Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq and prioritizes military engagement only when it is critical to our national interest – something the President has repeatedly promised.”
Additionally, keeping American troops in isolated military bases in Iraq and Syria is no longer critical to our security and only makes them vulnerable to attacks from Iran and its proxies. The administration should follow through on the president’s promise to withdraw from Syria and begin a withdrawal from Iraq when appropriate.”
BACKGROUND
CVA/VoteVets polling shows solid majorities of voters in battleground states oppose the U.S. conducting an attack on Iran.
Further CVA polling has shown that veterans and military families in particular are largely opposed to more military engagement around the world, and a plurality think the US should be less engaged.
And a recent Pew Research Center survey of veterans gave some insight into sentiments of our entanglements in Afghanistan and Iraq, nearly two decades following our invasion, showing majorities of U.S. military veterans say those wars were not worth fighting. A parallel survey of American adults finds that the public shares those sentiments.
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