US Presidential Candidates Must Be Held Accountable for Pro-War Rhetoric

The presidential nominees of the major political parties in the United States should be held to account for their pro-war rhetoric because it poses a serious threat to US national security, advocacy group United for Peace and Justice member Brenda Lennick told Sputnik during an anti-war rally in New York City.

NEW YORK (Sputnik) — "We need to hold presidential candidates accountable for their pro-war positions which threaten our security and survival," Lennick said on Wednesday. "We’ve witnessed the devastating effects of easing up on candidates who speak our language of peace, but act like the war hawks who came before them."

Earlier in the day, dozens of protesters gathered at New York City’s Times Square to voice concerns with regard to the war sentiments voiced by the two major political parties’ presidential candidates.

The rally, which started at 2:00 p.m. (6:00 p.m. GMT), headed to Hillary Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s campaign headquarters, showing banners that declared Americans’ opposition to war, including "No to World War III!"

Prominent US peace activist and historian Dr. Noam Chomsky greeted the gathering via video.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Clinton has reasserted her aggressive foreign policy of "regime change" and war in the Middle East, Ukraine and beyond. In the third presidential debate with Trump in Las Vegas last month, Clinton reaffirmed her position to seek a no-fly-zone in Syria if she is elected to become the next US president.

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told the US Congress in no uncertain terms that trying to establish a no-fly-zone in Syria will mean the United States go to war with Syria and Russia.

Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stain as well as numerous US commentators and former officials have cautioned of the possibility of a thermonuclear war with Russia if Clinton assumes the US presidency.

For his part, Trump has repeatedly stated that he would welcome cooperation with Russia in the fight against the Islamic State and Islamic extremism. The Republican nominee has also stated that he wants to rebuild the US military, which is depleted from 15 years of continuous participation in armed conflict and nation building.

After Iraq war broke out in 2002, more than 70 peace organizations joined forces to form the United for Peace and Justice coalition. The coalition has stated it seeks to coordinate efforts to mitigate armed conflict.