Iraq and Afghanistan

Mike voted against the Congressional Resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq in October 2002; he has been an outspoken critic of that war ever since. A link between Saddam Hussein and the attacks on September 11th was never established and weapons of mass destruction were never found. Yet our troops remain in harm's way in Iraq. Mike understands that we cannot simply cease operations in Iraq and leave immediately. However, a steady withdrawal of troops is long overdue. It is time to turn Iraq back to its people and accelerate the process of reducing our military presence. Mike remains hopeful that President Obama will fulfill the commitment he made to begin drawing down troops in Iraq so that our men and women in uniform can return to their families. Mike is committed to bringing the troops home and supporting our military personnel when they return.

Mike continues to believe that we should have committed sufficient troops to complete the mission in Afghanistan instead of shifting focus to Iraq. Mike voted to authorize the use of force in Afghanistan in October 2001, after its Taliban rulers refused to act against those who attacked the United States — al-Qaeda. He has traveled to Afghanistan, not only to talk with American generals and other high officials, but also to listen to officers and soldiers in the field and Afghan leaders at national and local levels.

Mike remains gravely concerned about the conduct and the prospects of our operations in Afghanistan, and about the future of neighboring Pakistan. It would pose a serious danger to world peace if its nuclear arsenal fell into the hands of extremists or non-state actors with no regard for human life. But, just as he refused to give a blank check to President Bush, Mike voted in May 2009 against a proposal by the current administration that would have provided additional war funding without an adequate plan for bringing either conflict to an end. While he trusts that President Obama is sincere in his commitment to new approaches, Mike felt that a vote for additional funding demonstrated an acceptance of the status quo. Mike has now called for the responsible redeployment of our troops from Afghanistan because he believes that we should seek out al-Qaeda where they are, not where they were, and according to Obama Administration officials, the number of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan now stands at less than 100. The United States must craft an exit strategy and bring our troops home, not increase our number of forces there. While he does not believe these problems are simple, he does believe Congress must participate in their solution.

To learn more about where Mike stands, we encourage you to attend an event, listen to one of Mike's podcasts, or watch one of Mike's videos.