By Gloria Ogbonna
During an appearance Thursday on Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN, U.S. Representative Daniel Goldman (D-NY) sharply criticized the administration of Donald Trump, arguing that the United States appeared to enter military action against Iran without a clear objective, strategy, or understanding of the potential consequences.
Speaking with host Anderson Cooper, Goldman expressed deep concern over what he described as a troubling lack of planning and intelligence surrounding the operation.
According to the congressman, reports were emerging that U.S. forces had mistakenly targeted a school building, an incident that allegedly resulted in the deaths of about 175 people, most of them children. Goldman said such reports highlight the dangers of military decisions made without careful preparation or reliable intelligence.
Goldman questioned whether the administration had truly anticipated the response from Iran following the strike. He suggested that officials seemed surprised by Iran’s retaliation, raising serious concerns about whether the risks had been properly evaluated before the operation was carried out.
“This is why the discussion about following the Constitution and seeking authorization from Congress is not just an academic debate,” Goldman said. “When a president goes to Congress to request approval for military action, they are required to present a detailed plan. They need to explain the strategy, outline the objective, and describe what the ‘day after’ will look like.”
According to Goldman, that process forces the administration to clearly define its goals and ensure that lawmakers — and by extension the American public — understand the purpose and expected outcomes of military involvement. Without that level of transparency and planning, he argued, the nation risks entering conflicts blindly.
The New York congressman went further, saying he believes the administration may not have had a clearly defined mission in the first place. “They don’t even have an objective here,” Goldman said. “It’s entirely unclear what the ultimate goal is. Frankly, I’m not sure they know what they’re trying to accomplish.”
Goldman warned that sending American troops into a conflict without a well-developed strategy could have devastating consequences. He emphasized that military operations must account for how an adversary might respond and how the situation could escalate.
“You should never send American service members into a war when you’re unprepared and when you don’t have a clear understanding of how the enemy might react,” he said.
The congressman also pointed to the growing human and economic toll of the escalating tensions. He noted that American service members have reportedly been killed or injured as the situation intensifies. At the same time, reports of civilian casualties in Iran, including children, have sparked international concern.
Goldman also highlighted the potential global economic consequences of the conflict, particularly regarding the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway is one of the most critical shipping routes in the world, serving as a passage for a large portion of global oil exports as well as many other vital goods.
“If the Strait of Hormuz is closed, the consequences will go far beyond oil prices,” Goldman said. “There is an enormous amount of international trade that passes through that corridor. Disrupting it could put massive pressure on the global economy in ways many people may not fully realize.”
As tensions continue to unfold, Goldman urged policymakers to carefully reconsider the path forward and ensure that any further military action is backed by clear objectives, a defined strategy, and full constitutional oversight.
He concluded that without those elements, the risks — both for American troops and for global stability — could grow even more severe.
Source Breitbart
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