'Bring our troops home', demand US anti-interventionist Republicans

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Mar 2023 16:19
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Following the attacks against US occupation bases in Syria, Matt Gaetz and several other lawmakers have urged, once more, that the US pull its troops out of Syria.

American soldiers patrol near prison that was attacked by the ISIS militants in Al-Hasakah, Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022 (AP).

After a series of attacks on US bases in Syria that came in retaliation against attacks on alleged auxiliary forces in Syria, and after a senior Iranian advisor revealed how the US shelled Deir Ezzor, US President Joe Biden warned Iran, on Friday, that the US will "act forcefully" to protect its occupation forces and interests in Syria.

Now, a number of anti-interventionist Republicans in both the House and Senate have once again called for the US to pull its occupation forces out of Syria.

Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz wrote on Twitter "Warmongers in both parties say keeping troops in Syria is necessary to preserve the balance of power. That is simply not true. If they believe that, they should say it directly to the parents of Americans in Syria who have to sleep there tonight and guard oil fields against Iranian drones. We need to bring our troops home."

In a separate tweet, he said "It is deeply sad to continue to see Americans killed and troops injured in Syria. This is the price of guarding oil fields in other countries, presumably forever."

Warmongers in both parties say keeping troops in Syria is necessary to preserve the balance of power.

That is simply not true.

If they believe that, they should say it directly to the parents of Americans in Syria who have to sleep there tonight and guard oil fields against… https://t.co/YcFNoKkwQB pic.twitter.com/0SJBtjFzW2
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 24, 2023

Gaetz, in parallel, reiterated in a video that it was "not appropriate to put Americans at risk" in Syria, and said that he was "shocked" that the deployment of US forces has not already caused an “escalatory accident” or more casualties.

“The Kurds have an opportunity to pave their path, let’s pave ours. And if we’re so worried about threats to the homeland, how about we actually focus on our true point of vulnerability, which is not the emergence of some caliphate – it’s the fact that terrorists are crossing our southern border on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. We’ve seen far less concern about that than we undeniably should be,” the Gaetz said.

Congressman Ben Cline of Virginia tweeted in agreement with Gaetz, saying that the most recent violence was “EXACTLY why” he “voted to remove the US Armed Forces From Syria and bring our troops home.”

Similarly, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul also tweeted: "Bring our troops home from Syria and end every unauthorized war going on today. Return the power to engage in war to Congress. Our service members deserve it. The Constitution demands it."

Senate votes down repeal of AUMF law authorizing US wars

The US Senate overwhelmingly voted down a repeal of the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), 86–9. The repeal of the amendment was first proposed by Sen. Rand Paul to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the war on Iraq.

"Today, I offered the US Senate a chance to repeal the 9/11 2001 authorization for war to reclaim our constitutional power and send a message to the world that we are a nation of peace. We should have risen above symbolism and … shown our respect for the Constitution, our fealty to the rule of law, and our sincere desire that peace, not perpetual war, be our legacy, ” Paul said in a statement after the vote on March 22.

Paul further warned that by maintaining the 2001 AUMF, Congress is holding on to a declaration that "war everywhere, all the time" is acceptable.

The GOP senator promised to continue his efforts to get the authorization overturned, contending that Congress, not the president, should wield war-making powers under the Constitution.