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Last Updated on March 26, 2024.

Washington – Win Without War’s President Stephen Miles released the following statement responding to reports of U.S. military strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria:

“We are monitoring reports of U.S. military strikes against a number of targets across Iraq and Syria. While these strikes, and likely additional rounds, have been telegraphed by the Biden administration, we are deeply concerned about this dangerous escalation and reiterate our call for the President to dramatically change course.

“While these strikes come in response to the recent tragic loss of three U.S. service members, there is little reason to believe that they will be any more successful at halting the growing spread of violence across the Middle East than multiple previous rounds of similar U.S. bombing. Instead, the President should do everything in his power to immediately secure a ceasefire in Gaza, the fire at the core of this regional inferno, while leading robust, regional diplomacy aimed at a genuine de-escalation of violence. More war will only put U.S. forces and people in the region at greater risk than they already are.

“Finally, we remain concerned about the clear lack of appropriate legal authorization for this prolonged military engagement. While the President always retains the constitutional right to engage in self-defense, planned retaliation and prolonged bombing campaigns are not self-defense. These are not simply philosophical debates but fundamental constitutional checks and balances designed to prevent us from slipping into exactly the kind of full-scale regional war we are racing dangerously towards.

“It’s long past time to recognize we cannot bomb our way to peace and choose a different path.”

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Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in the United States.

February 2, 2024