Some in Congress Rethinking War Vote

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0714-10.htm

Published on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 by the Los Angeles Times

Some in Congress Rethinking War Vote Based on False Data
Several Republicans are among those raising doubts that another preemptive attack could win support, but Bush reaffirms his policy.

by Mary Curtius

WASHINGTON — Revelations that prewar intelligence on Iraq was deeply flawed have triggered soul-searching on Capitol Hill, with lawmakers asking whether a more accurate assessment would have changed their vote for war and casting doubt on whether preemptive military action could ever again win approval.

The debate is about more than history, and is more than partisan posturing in a presidential election year. Any future debate on the use of military power "will have that overlay" of the intelligence failure on Iraq, said Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), who voted in October 2002 to authorize President Bush to use force.

"There's a greater burden of proof now when someone comes up here suggesting preemptive action," Smith said, adding that Congress will insist "that we have more concrete facts."

The vote that gave Bush broad leeway to use force against Iraq was seen by many as a revolution in American foreign policy. Breaking with decades of precedent, lawmakers accepted Bush's post-Sept. 11 doctrine of preemption and gave the White House more flexibility to make war — even when there was no imminent threat to U.S. security.

Now some senators are saying that documentation of the intelligence failure dealt a serious blow to that doctrine, and others are left rethinking their vote for war.

..more..

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. A day and thousands of deaths too late....

Hindsight is 20/20.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. We won't be fooled again

If Chimp tried another preemptive strike, I think the burden of proof would be much, much higher-unless he cancels the election, dissolves Congress, and becomes the complete facist dictator of his dreams.

[Solly Mack]

3. The living have that luxury

the dead don't and never will

I'm sure this is a great comfort to the Iraqis and the many, many, many Lila Liscombs of the world.

[bluestateguy]

4. These people have more wars planned.

They won't let a congressional vote stop them. They'll just trump up a bunch of nonsense about "national security" and say that SyriaIranNorthKorea represents an imminent danger to the nation and that we must stop them right away! At the end of the day, what is Congress going to do? The War Powers Act is probably unconstitutonal, the Supreme Court would never stop a president from taking the nation to war, and if they tried to, how would they do it? Congress could impeach him, but few in this Congress (from either party) have those kinds of balls.

[Disturbed]

5. Syria and Iran

They are definetly on the agenda. BushCo won't risk that before the elections but if they maintain power I damn well feel that these will be the next countries to be bombed and reiceve missle strikes.

[Jivenwail]

6. I keep this quote on my computer and read it every day

"To the living we owe respect, but to the dead we owe only the truth" Voltaire.