Issue Position: Iraq

Issue Position

Issue Position: Iraq

America's sons and daughters are being asked to referee a bloody civil war in Iraq. Senator Wyden wants to bring home our troops in Iraq, and is opposing spending bills for hundreds of billions of additional dollars for Iraq until the President agrees to a speedy timetable for withdrawal. This position is in keeping with his historic and consistent opposition to the war going back to the run-up to the invasion in 2003. In October 2002, Senator Wyden was one of 23 U.S. Senators who voted against the resolution authorizing President Bush to use force against Iraq. In his speech on the floor of the Senate, Senator Wyden said, "There is no question in my mind Saddam Hussein represents a very real threat to this country and to the world, but I do not want to, in the days ahead, compound the problems we already face with Hussein in the region by authorizing a unilateral, preemptive military strike at this time, and that is why I will oppose the resolution."

Senator Wyden has always supported American troops who are in harm's way and will continue to make sure they get the equipment they need. But he has concluded there is no reason to believe that more American troops are going to change the situation in Iraq. Only the Iraqi people can come together and make the tough choices necessary to reach a political settlement, and Senator Wyden firmly believes that the Iraqis will assume responsibility for their own security only if they can no longer use our troop presence as a crutch.

Senator Wyden is also concerned by the President's decision to send more troops to Iraq and ignore the opinions of the Iraq Study Group, several top generals and a majority of the American public. The Senator opposed the President's plan because he was not convinced that overstretching our military any further will produce success in Iraq.

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