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On the Issues
War in Iraq
When the House considered a resolution in 2002 giving President Bush
the authority to invade Iraq, I voted against it. I helped formulate
an alternative measure that would instead have authorized military
backing and enforcement actions for United Nations (UN) weapons
inspections.
It would have required the President to pursue a peaceful resolution
to the conflict and to come back to Congress if he wished to undertake
a unilateral invasion. Current information reinforces my view that
it was a mistake to invade Iraq when and how we did - without reliable
intelligence, appreciable support from allies, or a workable postwar
plan.
Unfortunately, the Administration’s bungling of the post-invasion
reconstruction phase has led us to the current state of affairs:
an Iraqi state on the precipice of civil war or failed statehood,
with a deteriorating security situation and no plan from the Bush
Administration for bringing U.S. troops home. Our handling of the
Iraq war has also squandered the universal goodwill our country enjoyed
after September 11th and precipitated a meltdown in our international
relations. Inhumane treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere
has further tarnished our standing in the world.
I am also deeply concerned about the poor armament of our servicemen
and servicewomen. It is critical that we support our troops in every
possible way as they carry out their dangerous missions overseas.
An important part of that support is ensuring that our troops return
home as soon as possible. The United States must send a clear signal to Iraq’s political leaders that our occupation is coming to an end, forcing them to make the compromises necessary to govern and secure their own country. We must adopt an exit strategy, in consultation with the government of Iraq, which sets a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Along with Rep. Brad Miller, I have introduced legislation, H.R. 645, which would require a near-term withdrawal of our troops from Iraq in accordance with a clear exit strategy.
In order to address the overarching strategic objective in Iraq, we must simultaneously initiate a surge of diplomacy to spur political progress and reconciliation within Iraq, engage Iraq’s neighbors in working for stability in Iraq, and solicit more involvement by the international community. One of the chief recommendations of the Iraq Study Group was to initiate a new diplomatic offensive. My legislation, H.R. 3797, would mandate such a diplomatic surge, and it enjoys strong bipartisan support.
I have also been involved in a number of efforts to support our troops
and to hold the Bush Administration accountable for its misguided
policies in Iraq. For example, I’ve supported legislation to
investigate detainee
abuse, require an extensive debate on the House
floor about U.S. policies in Iraq, and require greater accountability for the billions of taxpayer dollars spent on Iraq’s reconstruction.
I will continue to hold the President accountable for his administration's missteps in Iraq, and I will continue to support responsible efforts to bring our troops home.
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