US Senate Candidate Says America “Destroyed” Afghanistan and Iraq

DID Press: Graham Platner has said he feels ashamed over America’s role in Afghanistan and Iraq, accusing Washington of causing widespread destruction, displacement and suffering through its wars in the two countries.

In an interview with The New York Times, Platner — a military veteran and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from Maine — stated: “We destroyed Iraq and we destroyed Afghanistan.”

He added that the wars led to immense suffering, killings, deaths and displacement, saying: “I am ashamed of it.”

Platner also said his anger is directed toward political leaders who sent him to war, criticizing long-standing U.S. foreign policy decisions in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Known as an anti-establishment figure within the Democratic Party, Platner has repeatedly condemned American military interventions during his campaign and called for major political reforms inside the United States.

In the same interview, he warned that growing public dissatisfaction with the U.S. political and economic system could lead to what he described as a “political revolution.”

His remarks come amid renewed debate in the United States over the legacy of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and Washington’s broader foreign policy record.