“The question, Mr. Speaker, is not whether we like Saddam Hussein or not. The question is whether he represents an imminent threat to the American people and whether a unilateral invasion of Iraq will do more harm than good,” begins Bernie Sanders in his powerful, but unheeded, objection to America’s invasion of Iraq twenty years ago.
Sanders posted the video today, saying “I explained why a unilateral war made no sense. Those objections were ignored. Sadly, the concerns some of us raised were shown to be accurate, and we still live with the terrible consequences today.”
Twenty years ago, as Congress debated whether to invade Iraq, I explained why a unilateral war made no sense. Those objections were ignored. Sadly, the concerns some of us raised were shown to be accurate, and we still live with the terrible consequences today. pic.twitter.com/aTw1mAbTvY
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 22, 2023
Sanders spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives expressing a strong and reasoned opposition to the Iraq War Resolution. The senator argued that the resolution would lead to an “unending” and “disastrous” war and that it was based on false premises and faulty intelligence.
Sanders posted his reminder, and the vintage video accompaniment, to emphasize his belief that the political problems that led to the Iraq invasion — and its results — still plague America.
“The Iraq war was a costly mistake that was sold to the American people with lies,” he tweeted earlier this week. “We still have not fully learned our lesson.”
The Iraq war was a costly mistake that was sold to the American people with lies. We still have not fully learned our lesson. We must change the militaristic approach that has drawn attention from more pressing issues, undermined our moral authority, and corroded our democracy.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) March 20, 2023
Sanders was a rare voice in opposition at the time, when the American political system was less fervently divided by party fealty. The list of Democrats who supported George W. Bush‘s invasion — and who later came to regret their decision (or at least its execution) — is a who’s who of powerful Democrats at the time including:
- Hillary Clinton: As a U.S. Senator, Clinton voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002. However, during her 2008 presidential campaign, she expressed regret about her vote and called it a mistake. She also criticized the Bush administration’s handling of the war.
- Joe Biden: As a U.S. Senator, Biden voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002. However, during his 2020 presidential campaign, he acknowledged that his vote was a mistake and that he had misjudged the situation in Iraq.
- John Kerry: As a U.S. Senator, Kerry voted in favor of the Iraq War Resolution in 2002. However, during his 2004 presidential campaign, he criticized the war and called for a change in strategy. He later became an outspoken opponent of the war.
- Chuck Hagel: As a U.S. Senator, Hagel initially supported the Iraq War, but he later became a vocal critic of the war and the Bush administration’s handling of it. He opposed the troop surge in Iraq in 2007 and called for a change in strategy.
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