Known for his more pacifist-type views of foreign policy, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders clarified to reporters his position on war intervention while at a campaign stop in Grinnell on Thursday.
Sanders was asked his view of America’s war decisions in the past while he was a member of Congress, and if he was in favor of any of them.
“I supported President Clinton’s effort to end ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, and what was going on there was atrocious and I thought it was appropriate for the U.S. to intervene,” said Sanders. “I voted for the war on Afghanistan, because I think in Osama Bin Laden, you had a war criminal who was being shielded by the Taliban government and I believe he needed to stand trail.”
Sanders has been including in his stump speeches, however, that he does not support many of the Republican contenders’ views to attack Iran and go to war with ISIS immediately.
“The cost of war, and I speak as the former chair of the Senate Veterans’ Committee, people do not know what war does to hundreds and hundreds of thousands of families,” said Sanders. “And that is why I am supporting the president’s effort in Iran – we want to make sure Iran does not get a nuclear weapon.”
The senior Vermont senator acknowledged, however, that if elected, he will serve as Commander in Chief.
“Force is something presidents have to use, and that’s the reality,” said Sanders. “But what I do believe, as someone who has voted against the war in Iraq, I do believe we have got to do as much as we can to resolve international conflicts without going to war.”
Sanders has stops in Cedar Rapids tomorrow. His campaign in Iowa has had to move several venues during his trip this week to accommodate for anticipated large crowds. More than 500 Grinnell College and community members came to Central Park to hear Sanders speak.
