Fifth 'Anniversary' of Kucinich Warnings, Speech on War With Iraq |
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five years ago tomorrow
(Wednesday, October 3), Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich stood on the floor
of the U.S. House of Representatives to deliver an impassioned,
point-by-point refutation of the Bush Administration's arguments seeking
passage of the Iraq War Resolution.
For days leading up to that moment, Kucinich also widely circulated his
own independently conducted analysis of the "intelligence" that the
Administration had presented to Congress in support of the resolution.
Eight days later, despite the warnings of Kucinich and 132 other
members of the House whom he had managed to persuade to oppose this prelude
to war, the majority of the House and the majority of the Senate gave the
President the war powers he sought.
Among those supporting the "Authorization for Use of Military Force
Against Iraq Resolution of 2002" were Senators Hillary Clinton, John
Edwards, Chris Dodd, and Joe Biden, all of whom spoke forcefully in favor
of the President's strategy - all four of whom are now Democratic
Presidential candidates. All four subsequently approved additional measures
for supplemental appropriations to fund the war, as did Democratic Senator
Barack Obama after he was elected to the Senate in 2004.
Now, five years after they approved a war that should never have been
authorized in the first place, those same Democrats are scrambling to
explain, excuse, or defend their votes. At the same time, the foremost
among them are refusing to pledge an end to the war, admitting that it may
extend well beyond 2013.
Kucinich, the only Democratic candidate for President who voted against
the original war authorization and every war-appropriation since, has
recently raised loud warnings, in the Congress and in public statements,
that House- approved and Senate-approve measures targeted towards Iran are
"dangerously and frighteningly similar" to those anti-Iraq resolutions
approved five years ago.
No "commemorative" events are planned for Wednesday, but Kucinich is
weighing a number of requests to discuss Iraq, Iran, and the prospect of a
prolonged and expanded war in the Middle East.
(October 3, 2002, Floor speech:
http://www2.kucinich.us/files/pdfs/IraqFloorSpeech2002.pdf)
(October 2, 2002: Independent Intelligence Analysis:
http://www2.kucinich.us/files/pdfs/Oct2002Analysis.pdf)
SOURCE Kucinich for President 2008
back to topRelated links:
CONTACT:
Andy Juniewicz, National HQ, +1-216-409-8992,
ajuniewicz@aol.com, Sharon Manitta, Washington, +1-202-506-6682,
sharon.manitta@kucinich.us, both for Kucinich for President 2008
