(Dave DeCamp, Antiwar.com) Next week, the Senate is expected to vote on a War Powers Resolution aimed at preventing a US attack on Cuba amid reports that the Pentagon is ramping up preparations for a potential war against the island nation.
The bill, S.J.Res. 124, was introduced last month by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and would block hostilities against Cuba that haven’t been authorized by Congress (use this link to tell your senators to support the bill).
“When will President Trump understand that Americans want lower prices, not more unnecessary wars?” Kaine said in a statement when the bill was introduced last month.
“Only Congress has the power to declare war under the Constitution, but he operates with the belief that the U.S. military is a palace guard, ordering military action in the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Iran without Congress’ authorization or any explanation for his actions to the American people,”
Since the US attack on Venezuela to abduct President Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration has cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and also pressured Mexico not to ship oil to the island, causing a major humanitarian crisis in the country.
Amid the blockade, President Donald Trump has been threatening to attack Cuba, making it clear it’s his next preferred military intervention after the Iran war. The president said last month that he thinks he’ll have the “honor” of “taking Cuba” and that he feels that he “can do anything I want with it.”
The US and Cuba have been engaged in some talks, but it’s unclear what sort of deal the Trump administration would accept. The message from Havana has been one of defiance in the face of the US aggression, with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel saying that the country is ready to fight against a US invasion.
This article originally appeared at Antiwar.com.
