Middle East
Iraq
I voted against authorizing the war in Iraq in 2002 and have been a vocal opponent of the war since before it began.
Our troops did what we sent them to do. After the failed policies of the last Administration, I am proud to see President Obama implementing policies that have removed all U.S. combat troops out of Iraq, and have set a definitive timetable to remove all remaining U.S. forces by the end of 2011.
Our country made great sacrifices in this war. Over 4,400 brave American soldiers lost their lives. Our country has spent over $729 billion fighting this conflict alone. It’s now time for the Iraqis to bring peace to their country.
Afghanistan
The Afghanistan war is now the longest running war in United States history. In the wake of the September 11th attacks, the United States went into Afghanistan to eliminate a glaring threat to our national security: the safe haven and protection provided for Osama Bin Laden and al Qaeda by the ruling Taliban. In 2003 the United States invaded Iraq rather than finishing the job in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, al Qaeda is no longer the only threat in the region. The Taliban has refortified in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and al Qaeda is in the border region of Pakistan. Meanwhile, the United States has not only continued its military operations in Afghanistan, in recent months our country has dramatically increased the number of military personal in this war to over 100,000 brave men and women.
I support bringing our troops home from Afghanistan as quickly and safely as possible and changing our policy to a counterterrorism strategy that focuses on al Qaeda around the world. To that end, I am a co-sponsor of H.R. 5015. This bill would require the President to submit a plan to Congress for the safe, orderly, and expeditious redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Afghanistan.
I have also voted in favor of amendments on the House floor that would require President Obama to submit a plan to Congress by April, 2011 outlining the withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. These amendments would have also required the President to begin the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by July, 2011, as the President originally proposed.
Iran
I strongly believe that the current regime in Iran is a profound threat to U.S. national security interests; not only because of their nuclear ambitions, but because of the military assistance they provide armed groups in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Hamas and Hezbollah. Iran continues to ignore the international community on the issue of nuclear proliferation and has pledged to build new nuclear facilities.
In an effort to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions, I have supported international sanctions against the Iranian government. Most recently, I cosponsored and voted in favor of H.R. 2194, the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act, which will place the most restrictive sanctions on Iran to date.
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