US Senate votes to revoke two mandates for Iraq war
The moment US soldiers were bringing down the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad’s Firdos Square. Photo: AFP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The US Senate voted in favor of legislation revoking decades-old authorizations to wage wars in Iraq.
The step took place as the Congress seeks to reaffirm its role in making the decision to send troops into combat.
The vote ended 65-28, more than the 60 votes needed in the 100-member Senate, paving the way for a vote on approval later this week.
Most of the votes rejecting the decision were from members of the Republican Party.
For years, Members of Congress say that the Congress ceded too much power to presidents of both the Republican and Democratic parties to send troops to fight abroad by passing authorizations for long wars that presidents then used to justify military action in different parts of the world.
Under the Constitution, only Congress, not the president, can declare war.
Supporters of the current bill describe the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force against Iraq as dead mandates. They say that it is outdated and inappropriate because the wars ended a long time ago and Iraq became a partner of the United States.
This month markes the 20th anniversary of the launch of 2003 Iraq war.