Who is Steven Anderson? John Oliver slams retired general for pushing ‘war crimes’ amid Israel-Hamas conflict
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘Last Week Tonight’ host John Oliver ripped into retired Brigadier General Steven Anderson for pushing ‘war crimes’ in the midst of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Anderson graduated from the US Military Academy in 1978 and served as a Platoon Leader before working his way up to the rank of Brigadier General, according to Daily Mail.
His most noteworthy combat duty was a 15-month deployment as Deputy Chief of Staff, Logistics for the Multi-National Force in Iraq under General David H Petraeus.
After 31 years of service in the US Army, which included four tours in the Pentagon and assignments in Korea, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Germany, and Hawaii, he retired in April 2010.
On October 15, Anderson appeared on CNN’s 'Sunday Morning', where he explained the rationale for allowing Israel to bombard Gaza until Hamas militants surrender, as per Daily Beast.
“The people are going to suffer, but they’re going to come up on the net and say, ‘Look, get us out of here,’” he said. Victor Blackwell, the anchor, replied, “Does that mean starve the Palestinian people?”
Anderson then doubled down on his claims, saying, “It sounds callous, but this is a war.”
“Think of what the Hamas did to the people of Israel, this unprovoked attack. So, yes, they need to -- I'm not saying starve, we don't want to see anyone suffer unduly,” he continued.
What did John Oliver say about Steven Anderson?
The 46-year-old comedian kickstarted Sunday’s episode by shedding light on several big news around the deadly Israel-Hamas conflict. “Joe Biden flew to Israel to offer his support amid the ongoing hostage crisis,” he said.
“In Gaza, conditions are horrendous, following brutal airstrikes, and a blockade of food, fuel, and water, which some commentators are just way too comfortable with,” the host continued.
Oliver then played footage from Anderson’s recent interview on CNN’s 'Sunday Morning'. “What?! It is a war. You’re describing a war crime. One thing does not justify the other,” the comedian said reflecting on the retired General’s claims.
“Just a thought for that anchor, who probably didn’t get up that morning thinking he’d have to genuinely explain “you can’t starve people” to a former US military official,” he further added.
John Oliver slams 'blood-thirsty rhetoric'
Previously, Oliver garnered immense praise after slamming ‘bloodthirsty’ Israel-Hamas rhetoric. “Whatever thoughts you have about the history of this region or the current state of affairs—and I’ve shared mine on this show in the past—it should be impossible to see grieving families and not be moved,” he said.
He then expressed his fear over potential war crimes by stating, "I don't know where things stand in Gaza as you watch this right now, but all signs seem to be pointing toward a humanitarian catastrophe."
Speaking about fear, Oliver remarked on “the zealots and extremists across the board who’ve consistently thwarted attempts at peace over the years." "Israelis and Palestinians have been let down by their leadership repeatedly, and I don’t have much faith in the leaders currently in charge to steer us toward peace,” he said.
“But I do still have some hope. Because the easiest thing in the world, after a week like this, is to engage in bloodthirsty rhetoric. But I will say, I’ve been struck by the many ordinary citizens, Israeli and Palestinian, who’ve called for restraint this week, and not revenge,” the host continued.