Three weeks after the United States and Israel went to war against Iran, the price is now beginning to show.
At least 13 American soldiers have been killed, over 230 have been injured and the Pentagon has sent a bill of close to NOK 2,000 billion.
America’s allies in the Middle East are under Iranian attack, and the price of oil and gas has skyrocketed as a result of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz.
America’s European allies will not join the war, and thousands of American soldiers have been sent to the Middle East indefinitely.
Calling for strategy
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– The real question is what we are really trying to achieve, says Republican Senator Thom Tillis.
– I generally support anything that takes out the mullahs, but ultimately some kind of strategy must be conveyed and what our goal is defined, he says.
Trump has recently both said that the war is coming to an end and that it will be escalated, and most people are therefore delusional.
The president’s decision to go to war without congressional authorization, despite Republicans holding majorities in both chambers, has also created discontent deep within his own party.
Democrat Pramila Jayapal is among those protesting President Donald Trump’s decision to go to war against Iran without authorization from Congress.
Photo: Jacquelyn Martin
The clock is ticking
Now the clock is ticking, because according to the US’s so-called War Powers Act, the president can only carry out military operations for 60 days without approval from Congress.
The fact that the price of the war increases day by day, which the average American also experiences at the petrol pumps, also contributes to increasing nervousness among several Republicans who know that the mid-term elections are approaching.
There is currently no indication that the party will challenge Trump, and the leader of the House of Representatives hopes that it will not be necessary.
– I think the original mission is practically accomplished now, says Republican Mike Johnson.
– We tried to take out the ballistic missiles and their production facilities, as well as to neutralize the Iranian navy, and these goals have been achieved, he says.
Still ability
Johnson acknowledges that Iran still has the ability to cripple shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, especially as America’s allies have refused Trump’s plea for assistance.
– But as soon as we bring some calm to the situation, I think it is almost complete, he says.
Trump has made sweeping statements about what the goal of the war is. He has both talked about depriving Iran of the ability to develop nuclear weapons and weakening its missile program, but also about regime change.
– Regime change? Hardly. Get rid of the enriched uranium? Not without ground forces, says Democrat Mark Warner, who sits on the intelligence committee in the Senate.
– He should have made clear to the American people what the goal was before he chose to go to war, he says.
– Ridiculous amount
The Pentagon’s plea for close to NOK 2,000 billion extra for the war effort is unlikely to gain support in Congress.
Chuck Schumer, who sits in the Senate for the Democrats, calls the amount “ridiculous”.
This year, Congress has allocated over NOK 7,600 billion to the US military, and Trump’s tax relief law has secured them a further NOK 1,400 billion over the next few years.
Other things must now be prioritized in the US, Mazie Hirono believes. She sits in the Senate for the Democrats.
– How about not taking away funding for Medicaid, which would affect millions of people? How about making sure Snap is funded, she says, referring to the health and food programs that Republicans have cut.
– These are things we should do for the American people, says Hirono.
Bush went to Congress
Many elected officials recall that after the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, President George W. Bush asked for authorization from Congress before ordering the use of military force.
Trump has enough leeway under the War Powers Act to attack Iran, but this will change, says Senator Thom Tillis.
– When you reach the 45-day mark, you must either apply for authorization for the continued use of military force, or choose a very clear way out, he says.
– It is really between these two alternatives, he says.
(©NTB)
