For Immediate Release: December 16, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) released the following statement regarding the culmination of U.S. military operations in Iraq:

“Yesterday marked the official end of United States military operations in Iraq. President Obama has fulfilled his promise to bring all of our troops home by December and, for that, I commend him.

“I objected to the invasion of Iraq at the outset, and I have vigorously opposed it since. As we withdraw from Iraq after nearly nine years of war, there is no sense of ‘mission accomplished’ because the mission was incomprehensible. We invaded the country under false pretenses and deliberate misrepresentations: no credible evidence pointed to the existence of weapons of mass destruction and, not surprisingly, none were found.

“It is my hope that history books accurately will record the sorry consequences of invading a sovereign nation on the basis of adulterated evidence. That is what we did in 2003, and our country has paid, and will continue to pay, dearly for its foolish rush to war. Today, Iraq’s economy is in shambles, its coalition government is fragile, anti-Americanism runs high, and violence abounds.

“Since we launched this war, nearly 4,500 American soldiers have lost their lives and tens of thousands have sustained lifelong injuries. Their sacrifice must be honored and remembered. One way to do so is by not repeating the grievous mistakes that led us into Iraq. My fear is that those who sought this war again are urging conflict – this time with Iran. George Santayana warned that ‘Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ Let us reflect at length on the punishing costs of war and its unforgiving legacy.”

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Follow McDermott on Twitter: @RepJimMcDermott.