They fought in Iraq. Now they’re the Democrats’ loudest voices against the war in Iran.

Rep. Eugene Vindman is among a generation of young Democrats who ran for Congress, in part, because of their experience fighting a forever war in the Middle East. These Democrats are some of the earliest and most vocal critics of President Donald Trump’s decision to enter the US into war with Iran — a view … The post They fought in Iraq. Now they’re the Democrats’ loudest voices against the war in Iran. appeared first on Egypt Independent. Rep. Eugene Vindman speaks in Washington, DC, on Wednesday. Bryan Dozier/NURPHO/AP Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Rep. Eugene Vindman is among a generation of young Democrats who ran for Congress, in part, because of their experience fighting a forever war in the Middle East. These Democrats are some of the earliest and most vocal critics of President Donald Trump’s decision to enter the US into war with Iran — a view that puts them at odds with some of the more interventionist members of their party. “I will not be shedding a tear for the Iranian regime and the Ayatollah. I understand the threat but I also understand that wars are easy to start and hard to finish,” Vindman, a 25-year Army veteran, said Wednesday morning outside the US Capitol, standing shoulder to shoulder with a half-dozen fellow Democratic veterans. “This is a commitment of American blood and treasure to a conflict that we didn’t need to be engaged in.” An F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 37, lands on the flight deck of the Gerald R. Ford in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea on March 2. US Navy “When elites in Washington bang the war drums, pound their chest, talk about the costs of war and act tough, they’re not talking about them doing it,” added Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, who served three tours in Iraq. Party leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are amplifying those voices as Democrats seek to navigate the fallout from the quickly escalating war. While Vindman and his fellow Democratic veterans know they have little chance of blocking Trump’s actions in the GOP-led Congress, they’re trying to speak to a skeptical American public – arguing that the Trump administration has betrayed a core promise with the midterms just months away. But it’s a difficult line for Democrats to walk. Party leaders are navigating sharp divisions within their ranks, particularly among a pro-Israel bloc that is expected to defy leadership in a key House vote on Thursday that will attempt to curb Trump’s military powers overseas. One Democrat, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, opposed a similar vote in the Senate on Wednesday – the only Democrat to do so. Sen. John Fetterman speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 3. Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters For now, most Democrats are firmly condemning Trump’s decision to strike Iran without first seeking congressional approval. But the party will also soon be forced to contend with the reality of supporting US troops in the conflict in Iran, including questions about whether to spend billions of dollars more to shore up US operations. Party leaders are eager not to repeat history and sow divisions that plagued them over the Iraq war more than 20 years ago. They also know it is just the beginning of a conflict that could go on for weeks, if not months or even longer, that will test Democrats’ ability to stay united. In a closed-door meeting Tuesday night, Jeffries met with a bloc of roughly a half-dozen pro-Israel Democrats to make his case for backing the war powers measure, spending nearly an hour hearing the opposition from his fellow members, according to two people familiar with the meeting But that meeting ended without a commitment from those members to get in line behind the measure. “It didn’t change my mind,” Rep. Greg Landsman, who was one of those who attended the meeting, told CNN. Rep. Greg Landsman, right, answers a question from CNN’s Manu Raju on Tuesday, March 3. CNN Hours earlier, Landsman offered a surprisingly supportive assessment of the administration’s initial strikes in Iran, and vowed to oppose the bipartisan resolution to curb the president’s use of force in the country absent congressional approval, which he said could hamstring the military’s work abroad. “I’m more of a country-first guy, so whatever I think is best for the country and for my constituents, for the district, in this case, national security. To me, this was a no brainer. They had a window of opportunity to take out very specific military assets in order to defang the Iranian regime. We will be safer as a result,” Landsman said, though adding that Congress should have a say if the Iranian conflict “goes beyond” its current aims. Across the Capitol, Fetterman has gone even further, accusing his party of silencing their support for Trump’s operation because they’re “afraid” of the base. “Why can’t we all just say, ‘The world is safer’?” Fetterman told reporters, when asked about most Democrats’ opposition of the strikes. “Why can’t you just acknowledge the most evil people on the face of the earth were erased?” The views of Landsman and Fetterman, however, contrast starkly from many of their colleagues, including the bloc of national security Democrats who have argued Trump’s move makes the country dramatically less safe without considering the costs to US troops. “If I hear one more chicken hawk who’s never served a single day in uniform sitting