US Senate set to pass bill repealing Gulf, Iraq wars authorizations
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While the bill is expected to pass the Democratic-led Senate, its fate in the Republican-led House is still not clear.
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Airstrikes targeting ​​Saddam Hussein's palaces in Baghdad on March 21, 2003 (AFP)
The Senate on Wednesday is expected to pass, in a final vote, bipartisan legislation that would revoke the authorizations that Congress granted in 1991 and 2002 for US invasions and wars in Iraq.
The bill would revoke the authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) for the 1991 Gulf War under President George H.W. Bush and for the 2003 Iraq invasion under President George W. Bush.
However, the proposed bill would have no effect on a third AUMF that Congress enacted in 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks.
Because the post-9/11 AUMF does not expire and was not limited by geography, US presidents have used it as a pretext to approve military aggression around the globe as part of the so-called "war on terror."
The White House recently claimed that US President Joe Biden would sign the legislation if it comes to his desk.
While the bill is expected to pass the Democratic-led Senate, its fate in the Republican-led House is still not clear.
US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy recently told NBC News that he'd "have to look at what their bill does first" when asked if he would bring it up for consideration.
On his part, Republican Senate Minority leader, Mitch McConnell, pointed out on Tuesday that he did not support the bill.
"I am opposed to Congress sunsetting any military force authorizations in the Middle East. Our terrorist enemies aren’t sunsetting their war against us," McConnell indicated in a statement.
He claimed that "the 2002 AUMF bears directly on the threats we face today in Iraq and Syria from Iran-backed terrorists."
It is noteworthy that in 2020, then-President Donald Trump invoked the 2002 AUMF in the assassination of martyr General Qassem Soleimani by a drone strike in Baghdad.
On this day, 20 years ago, #US forces started to bomb #Iraq signaling the launch of their invasion of the country. Millions of Iraqis suffered from the ruthless violence of US forces, notably in the infamous #AbuGhreib prison. pic.twitter.com/UA4MWduXpp
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 19, 2023
A couple of days ago, the US Senate overwhelmingly voted down 86–9 a repeal of the post-9/11 authorization proposed by Senator Rand Paul to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the war on Iraq.
But on Monday, the Senate advanced the bill to revoke the 1991 and 2002 AUMF in a 65-28 procedural vote that secured support from 18 Republicans.
It is noteworthy that when Democrats controlled the House in 2021, a bill to revoke the 2002 AUMF passed with support from 49 Republicans. However, the Senate did not consider the bill.
Read more: Job of US Marine corps was killing people: Iraq War veterans speak up
