Iraq and Afghanistan

Topics:

• Iraq
• Afghanistan
• Torture
• Guantanamo
  

Iraq

In 2003, the United States made the decision to engage in a preemptive war in Iraq. This decision ignored international consensus that further diplomatic efforts should be made to determine if Iraq was in possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Rather, the U.S. made the decision to engage in a war that has cost countless innocent individuals their lives based on unsubstantiated evidence that was ultimately proven false.

The war in Iraq has had dramatic human and financial costs. Since the invasion of Iraq, more than 4,400 American servicemembers have died and over 32,000 have been disabled or injured. The number of Iraqi civilian deaths is estimated to be well over 100,000. It also is estimated that over 2 million Iraqis have left Iraq since the war began, and more than 2.7 million have moved within the country as a result of sectarian violence. In total, over 14 percent of the Iraqi population is displaced. In addition, each day our nation spends millions of dollars to continue our military occupation of Iraq, with military spending in Iraq since 2003 totaling more than $678 billion.

I have continually opposed U.S. military action against Iraq and worked to bring this unjustified war to an end. When President Bush began making his case for invading Iraq, I was one of the first Members of Congress to declare my opposition.

As a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, I will continually support policies to redeploy U.S. troops and continue to call on the Obama Administration to work to establish policies that support and request the sovereignty of the Iraqi people and reestablish America's international credibility.

Afghanistan

I am deeply concerned that our brave men and women in harm’s way in Afghanistan no longer have a clear mission. They are often expected to perform functions not authorized in the September 18, 2001 authorization of military force. As a result, the Afghan people are increasingly viewing U.S. and allied troops as occupying forces, rather than liberating forces.

In the absence of an exit strategy, I believe that Afghan resistance to our presence will grow, violence will increase, and our efforts to produce stability will be thwarted. Consequently, I believe it is time to safely bring our troops home.

The war in Afghanistan was authorized when Congress passed and President Bush signed an authorization of use of military force. Specifically it provided:

"That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons."

I voted to authorize military force to pursue al Qaeda and other violent extremists who threatened our safety and security. It was apparent, at the time, that al Qaeda used Afghanistan as a safe haven for its terrorist training camps and that the Taliban government in Afghanistan supported al Qaeda’s presence within its borders.

However, I believe our current actions in Afghanistan and President Obama’s proposal for moving forward bear little resemblance to that original, narrowly focused mission. Our brave service members in Afghanistan no longer have a clear mission.

I remain committed to keeping America and American interests abroad safe from acts of terrorism. I stand by my vote to authorize the use of military force to pursue al Qaeda and other violent extremists who threaten our safety and security. Yet at a time when our nation is facing extraordinary challenges at home, we should focus on rebuilding our nation and putting Americans back to work. I will continue to call upon the President to articulate a new plan and a clear exit strategy in Afghanistan.

Torture

I am strongly opposed to the use of torture on prisoners, in any situation, and by any agent. Our laws are clear: Americans are prohibited from engaging in torture of prisoners. These practices are grossly inhumane and are in direct contradiction with basic human rights.

Guantanamo

I believe that the federal government should close facilities like Guantanamo Bay and reinstate the habeas corpus rights of detainees, so that individuals are able to seek relief from unlawful detention. Detention facilities like Guantanamo Bay have become a liability in the war on terror, as reports of torture, the indefinite detention of potentially innocent individuals, and international objections to the treatment of detainees has hurt our international credibility. The closure of the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay would promote international human rights and help to restore our nation’s reputation for adherence to the rule of law.

 

IN-DEPTH