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Great Seal of the State of California Zoe's Position on the War in Iraq
Great Seal of the State of California

Iraq

In the fall of 2002, the President and senior officials in his Administration repeatedly made claims that Iraq posed an imminent threat to America . We were told that Iraq was very close to developing a nuclear weapon, that Iraq had stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, that there were credible ties between 9/11 and Saddam Hussein, and that Saddam Hussein was credibly linked to Al Qaeda.

At the time those claims were made by the President, there was weak or no evidence to support them. Given this lack of evidence, and believing that an invasion would be counterproductive for the United States , I voted against the resolution for war in October of 2002, along with a majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives.

The weak evidence for war presented by the President in 2002 is not only weaker today, much of it has been refuted, sometimes by the President himself. As we now know, Iraq possessed no “weapons of mass destruction” and was not on the verge of developing nuclear weapons. The President has admitted that Saddam Hussein was not involved with 9/11 and we know there was no credible connection between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda.

This war has been expensive for the United States in many ways: cost to the taxpayers ($4 to $6 Billion a month), prestige around the world, adverse impact on the U.S. Reserves, National Guard and active duty forces and, most seriously, the death, mutilation, and injury of many fine Americans who have served bravely and honorably in our Armed Services. The loss of lives, both American and Iraqi, the destruction of large parts of Iraq and the political and social instability that have occurred since the invasion raise the risk that Iraq may continue to be unstable and be a cause for instability in the region. There is substantial evidence that on account of our invasion and occupation, Iraq has become a “host country” for “terrorists in training”, just as Afghanistan was under Taliban rule.

We must support those who are serving honorably in Iraq . They did not make the policy decision to initiate this war, but they are doing their duty as soldiers to serve their country. In Congress, I have and will continue my efforts to pursue peace and stability in Iraq and the Middle East , and I will do everything I can to support our troops who serve this country so faithfully.

Supporting our troops not only means providing troops and their families with military, equipment, financial, and emotional support, it also means taking steps to achieve a more successful outcome for this ill-advised endeavor. The President's lack of planning for winning the peace is tragically evident today. We will honor our troops best by allowing them to return safely home with the best success that is possible to achieve. A plan and strategy must be established for this to occur. After attending many classified briefings it is obvious that no such plan or strategy exists now.

Below I list just some of the actions, resolutions, and letters I have signed regarding Iraq as well as my statement during the initial debate on the war on October 9, 2002 :

  • Joined Democratic Members of Congress to deliver petitions to the White House asking for answers on Iraq and information on the Downing Street Memos: June 16, 2005
  • Cosponsor of H.R. 3541 (109 th Congress) : To prohibit subjecting any person in U.S. custody to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment that is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution, laws, or treaties.
  • Co-signer of letter to President Bush urging him to require Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, to either come forward immediately to explain his role in the Valerie Plame matter or to resign from the Administration: July 7, 2005
  • Cosponsor of H.R. 1352 (109 th Congress) : To authorize tax credits for employers that hire veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom and their families

To view my statement on my vote against the authorization for use of military force for use against Iraq of military force against Iraq on October 9, 2002 (HJ Res . 114), click here.