OnTheIssues Fact Checking: on War & Peace


Ben Carson: FactCheck: Yes, Congress declared war after 9/11, sort of

Carson complains in "A More Perfect Union" (p. 118) that the President often bypasses Congress when initiating military action, and notes, "Only Congress has the legal authority to declare war. This happened after the attack on our forces in Pearl Harbor in 1941 and again in 2001 after the attacks on 9/11. In these cases Congress met to declare that a state of war existed." Carson hints that Bush DID have a Congressional declaration of war against Iraq while Obama has not--is that true?

We looked at the "Authorization for Use of Military Force" passed in October 2002--in effect, this was a declaration of war, in response to 9/11, against any countries that aided the 9/11 terrorists. Hillary Clinton and John Kerry both voted for it, and both later claimed it was NOT a declaration of war, and/or that they were misled in their vote, because President Bush falsely claimed that Iraq aided the 9/11 terrorists. It was not a formal declaration of war like after Pearl Harbor, but it did involve Congress.

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck: A More Perfect Union, by Ben Carson Oct 6, 2015

Bernie Sanders: Qatar is wealthy; needs to get skin in game against ISIS

Sen. Sanders asserted about fighting ISIS, "You have incredibly wealthy countries in that region, countries like Qatar. Qatar happens to be the largest -- wealthiest country per capita in the world. They have got to start putting in some skin in the game and not just ask the United States to do it." Is that true? That Qatar is the wealthiest country in the world, in terms of individual income?

We checked and indeed it's true. Comparing three different rating systems--the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the CIA--all three agree that Qatar has the highest per capita income in the world. Those three rating agencies don't agree on the exact income levels for other countries, but the United States is rated, respectively, the 9th, 10th, and 12th wealthiest country in the world.

Our rating: Yes, Sanders is correct that the U.S. is funding the defense expenses of a country wealthier than the U.S.

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on 2016 NBC Democratic debate Jan 17, 2016

Donald Trump: FactCheck: Would shoot Iranian warships too near US warships

Hillary asserted, "The other day, I saw Donald saying that there were some Iranian sailors on a ship in the waters off of Iran, and they were taunting American sailors who were on a nearby ship. He said, 'you know, if they taunted our sailors, I'd blow them out of the water and start another war.' That's not good judgment." Trump replied, "That would not start a war. No, they were taunting us." Is it true that he said it as Hillary asserted?

Trump indeed recently said, "With Iran, when they circle our beautiful destroyers with their little boats, and they make gestures at our people that they shouldn't be allowed to make, they will be shot out of the water." Wonkette.com reports that on Sept. 4, seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard patrol boats approached the USS Firebolt in the Persian Gulf; one Iranian boat came within 100 yards of the USS Firebolt. Wonkette.com concludes that Trump's tough talk was cheered by the crowd at the Values Voter Summit, which chanted "USA! USA!" and "Shoot them!"

Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on First 2016 Presidential Debate Sep 28, 2016

Pat Buchanan: FactCheck: Nukes do not protect a country from attack

Buchanan asserts in The Death of the West, that "since the atomic age began, no nation with atomic weapons has ever had its homeland invaded or a major war launched upon it. The only nuclear nation ever attacked was Israel, by pin-prick Scud strikes from Iraq." That statement is simply untrue; for example:Those might not be "major wars" but they are certainly more than "pin-pricks" like the Iraqi Scud strikes. Even just looking at 9/11--an attack on the homeland of the United States (atomic weapons since 1945)--belies Buchanan's theory that attaining nukes makes a country immune from attack
Source: OnTheIssues FactCheck on The Death of the West, p.108 Oct 15, 2002

Richard Nixon: FactCheck: No, Vietnam War ended in 1975, not 1973

Nixon said on 1/30/74, "For the first time in 12 years...the US [is] at peace with every nation of the world," meaning the Vietnam War had ended. That statement was untrue.

Nixon declared the Vietnam War "ended" as of 3/29/73. But there was no legal meaning to that "end"--Nixon only marked that date because the last official US combat troops left Vietnam. In fact, there were thousands more troops still in Vietnam. To highlight: