{"id":5330,"date":"2023-03-29T18:09:26","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T18:09:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=5330"},"modified":"2023-03-29T18:09:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T18:09:57","slug":"senate-votes-to-overturn-authorization-for-iraq-war-many-see-it-as-a-mistake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/analysis\/defense\/senate-votes-to-overturn-authorization-for-iraq-war-many-see-it-as-a-mistake\/2023\/03\/29\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate votes to overturn authorization for Iraq war, many see it as a mistake"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON<\/span> (Brussels Independent with AP)<\/span> –<\/span>\u00a0The<\/span> Senate<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> voted<\/span> to<\/span> overturn<\/span> a<\/span> resolution<\/span> that<\/span> gave<\/span> the<\/span> green<\/span> light<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> 2003<\/span> invasion<\/span> of<\/span> Iraq.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Iraq<\/span> death<\/span> toll<\/span> estimated<\/span> at<\/span> hundreds<\/span> of<\/span> thousands,<\/span> nearly<\/span> 5,000<\/span> US<\/span> soldiers<\/span> killed<\/span> in<\/span> war<\/span> after<\/span> President<\/span> George<\/span> W.<\/span> Bush’s<\/span> administration<\/span> falsely<\/span> claimed<\/span> that<\/span> Saddam<\/span> Hussein<\/span> stockpiled<\/span> weapons<\/span> of<\/span> mass<\/span> destruction<\/span> bottom.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>“This<\/span> organization<\/span> has<\/span> gone<\/span> to<\/span> war,”<\/span> said<\/span> Tim<\/span> Kaine,<\/span> a<\/span> Democratic<\/span> Virginia<\/span> senator<\/span> who<\/span> has<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> years<\/span> to<\/span> remove<\/span> power.<\/span> Senators<\/span> voted<\/span> 66<\/span> to<\/span> 30<\/span> to<\/span> rescind<\/span> the<\/span> 2002<\/span> measure<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> 1991<\/span> permit<\/span> that<\/span> sanctioned<\/span> the<\/span> US-led<\/span> Gulf<\/span> War.<\/span> If<\/span> passed<\/span> by<\/span> the<\/span> House,<\/span> repeal<\/span> is<\/span> not<\/span> expected<\/span> to<\/span> affect<\/span> current<\/span> military<\/span> operations.<\/span> But<\/span> lawmakers<\/span> from<\/span> both<\/span> parties<\/span> have<\/span> stepped<\/span> up<\/span> their<\/span> efforts<\/span> to<\/span> regain<\/span> the<\/span> congressional<\/span> powers<\/span> they<\/span> gave<\/span> the<\/span> White<\/span> House<\/span> over<\/span> the<\/span> strike<\/span> and<\/span> deployment<\/span> of<\/span> U.S.<\/span> forces,<\/span> with<\/span> some<\/span> lawmakers<\/span> who<\/span> voted<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Iraq<\/span> two<\/span> decades<\/span> ago.<\/span> ,<\/span> now<\/span> says<\/span> it<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> mistake.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Supporters,<\/span> including<\/span> 18<\/span> Republican<\/span> senators,<\/span> say<\/span> repeal<\/span> is<\/span> essential<\/span> to<\/span> deter<\/span> future<\/span> abuses,<\/span> highlighting<\/span> that<\/span> Iraq<\/span> is<\/span> now<\/span> a<\/span> strategic<\/span> partner<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> United<\/span> States.<\/span> Opponents<\/span> say<\/span> the<\/span> abolition<\/span> could<\/span> reflect<\/span> weakness<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> US<\/span> still<\/span> faces<\/span> conflicts<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> Middle<\/span> East.<\/span> In<\/span> the<\/span> House,<\/span> 49<\/span> Republicans<\/span> joined<\/span> forces<\/span> with<\/span> Democrats<\/span> to<\/span> support<\/span> a<\/span> similar<\/span> bill<\/span> two<\/span> years<\/span> ago,<\/span> but<\/span> the<\/span> future<\/span> of<\/span> repeal<\/span> is<\/span> less<\/span> certain.House<\/span> Speaker<\/span> Kevin<\/span> McCarthy<\/span> (Republican,<\/span> California)<\/span> has<\/span> indicated<\/span> he<\/span> would<\/span> support<\/span> the<\/span> repeal,<\/span> even<\/span> though<\/span> he<\/span> had<\/span> previously<\/span> opposed<\/span> it,<\/span> but<\/span> Rep.<\/span> Michael<\/span> McCall<\/span> of<\/span> Texas,<\/span> the<\/span> Republican<\/span> chairman<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> House<\/span> Foreign<\/span> Relations<\/span> Committee,<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> would.<\/span> I<\/span> like<\/span> to<\/span> replace<\/span> it<\/span> with<\/span> something<\/span> else<\/span> instead.<\/span> But<\/span> what<\/span> it<\/span> is<\/span> is<\/span> unclear.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Kane<\/span> and<\/span> Todd<\/span> Young,<\/span> R-Indiana,<\/span> who<\/span> co-led<\/span> the<\/span> effort,<\/span> said<\/span> a<\/span> strong<\/span> bipartisan<\/span> vote<\/span> was<\/span> strong<\/span> for<\/span> Americans<\/span> who<\/span> believed<\/span> their<\/span> voices<\/span> should<\/span> be<\/span> heard<\/span> on<\/span> issues<\/span> of<\/span> war<\/span> and<\/span> peace.<\/span> I<\/span> trust<\/span> you<\/span> to<\/span> send<\/span> me<\/span> a<\/span> message.<\/span> President<\/span> Donald<\/span> Trump’s<\/span> administration<\/span> cited<\/span> the<\/span> 2002<\/span> Iraq<\/span> War<\/span> Resolution<\/span> as<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> its<\/span> legal<\/span> justification<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> 2020<\/span> US<\/span> drone<\/span> strike<\/span> that<\/span> killed<\/span> Iranian<\/span> General<\/span> Qasim<\/span> Soleimani,<\/span> but<\/span> two<\/span> wars<\/span> Resolutions<\/span> by<\/span> great<\/span> powers<\/span> are<\/span> rarely<\/span> used<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> basis<\/span> for<\/span> actions<\/span> that<\/span> Iraq<\/span> otherwise<\/span> uses.<\/span> president.<\/span> About<\/span> 2,500<\/span> US<\/span> troops<\/span> remain<\/span> in<\/span> Iraq<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> invitation<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> Iraqi<\/span> government<\/span> to<\/span> provide<\/span> support<\/span> and<\/span> advice<\/span> to<\/span> local<\/span> forces.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Another<\/span> authorization<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> 2001<\/span> global<\/span> war<\/span> on<\/span> terror<\/span> would<\/span> remain<\/span> under<\/span> a<\/span> bill<\/span> that<\/span> President<\/span> Joe<\/span> Biden<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> would<\/span> endorse.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>A<\/span> vote<\/span> in<\/span> October<\/span> 2002<\/span> decided<\/span> to<\/span> give<\/span> President<\/span> Bush<\/span> overwhelming<\/span> powers<\/span> to<\/span> invade<\/span> Iraq.<\/span> This<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> pivotal<\/span> moment<\/span> for<\/span> many<\/span> members<\/span> of<\/span> Congress<\/span> as<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> debated<\/span> whether<\/span> military<\/span> action<\/span> was<\/span> justified.<\/span> The<\/span> United<\/span> States<\/span> was<\/span> already<\/span> at<\/span> war<\/span> in<\/span> Afghanistan,<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> that<\/span> housed<\/span> al-Qaeda<\/span> co-conspirators<\/span> involved<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> September<\/span> 11,<\/span> 2001<\/span> attacks,<\/span> and<\/span> Iraq<\/span> was<\/span> not<\/span> involved.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> Bush<\/span> administration<\/span> sought<\/span> support<\/span> from<\/span> members<\/span> of<\/span> Congress<\/span> and<\/span> the<\/span> American<\/span> public<\/span> for<\/span> an<\/span> invasion<\/span> of<\/span> Iraq<\/span> by<\/span> disseminating<\/span> false<\/span> information<\/span> claiming<\/span> that<\/span> Saddam<\/span> possessed<\/span> weapons<\/span> of<\/span> mass<\/span> destruction.<\/span> After<\/span> the<\/span> initial<\/span> invasion<\/span> in<\/span> March<\/span> 2003,<\/span> US<\/span> ground<\/span> forces<\/span> quickly<\/span> realized<\/span> that<\/span> allegations<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> nuclear<\/span> or<\/span> chemical<\/span> weapons<\/span> program<\/span> were<\/span> unfounded.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> U.S.<\/span> expulsion<\/span> of<\/span> Iraqi<\/span> security<\/span> forces<\/span> has<\/span> sparked<\/span> brutal<\/span> sectarian<\/span> strife<\/span> and<\/span> violent<\/span> campaigns<\/span> by<\/span> Islamic<\/span> extremist<\/span> groups<\/span> in<\/span> Iraq.<\/span> Car<\/span> bombings,<\/span> assassinations,<\/span> torture<\/span> and<\/span> kidnappings<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> part<\/span> of<\/span> everyday<\/span> life<\/span> for<\/span> years.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON (Brussels Independent with AP) –\u00a0The Senate on Wednesday voted to overturn a resolution that gave the green light to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Iraq death toll estimated at hundreds of thousands, nearly 5,000 US soldiers killed in war after President George W. Bush’s administration falsely claimed that Saddam Hussein stockpiled weapons of mass […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5331,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[26,276,280,2400],"tags":[2909,2910,2911,2912,2913,2378,2914,2899,2915,2900,2916,2901,2917,2902,2918,2903,2919,2904,2905,2906,2907,2908],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/iraq.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5330"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5330"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5330\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5332,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5330\/revisions\/5332"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5331"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}