Fifth 'anniversary' of Kucinich warnings, speech on war with Iraq

[G_j]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/27355

Fifth 'anniversary' of Kucinich warnings, speech on war with Iraq
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2007-10-02 14:00. Congress | Elections
www.dennis4president.com

WASHINGTON, DC - 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)

[Trisket-Bisket]

1. Wrong!

The vote was not about going to war. It provided measures to avoid it that Bush ignored.
If I want read the wonders of Dumpy I will go to his site.

[Breeze54]

2. Just keep telling yourself that.

:eyes:

"Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002"

What part of that title don't you understand? :shrug:

[Mind_your_head]

3. Dumpy? Are you referring to the shrub?

or 'who'? :shrug:

[G_j]

4. well, time has shown he was RIGHT

on the money,
still is.
does that hurt or something?

[Jacobin]

8. That old saw is getting real real dull

Everyone in Washington knew from the troop deployments before hand that Bush was going to war, no matter what. EVERYONE. They voted for it for political expediency and it was an idiotic and stupid blunder and they are paying the price AS THEY SHOULD. Anyone who voted for that crap has shown moral depravity and an unfitness to lead this country, aside from incredibly bad judgment and a lack of knowledge of even basic history of the middle east.

[TahitiNut]

10. Oh? So, it wasn't used as legislative cover for invading and occupying Iraq?

One million dead Iraqis and over 3,800 dead Americans might disagree. :eyes:

The tens of thousands of us who marched in the streets of several American cities BECAUSE it would be used to invade Iraq would mostly disagree - I'd stake my life on it.

[Solly Mack]

5. K&R

[G_j]

6. k

[superkia]

7. I have realized that most DU members dont care about the truth...

and all of the innocent lives lost for profit. It makes me sick to know that it looks like we will be electing another president that will continue wars for wealth and power. Sad when even people who call themselves democrats agree with this kind of madness. I wish everyone would ask themselves before they vote in the primaries, why did the rest of them look at the same evidence that Dennis Kucinich did and not see the problems and voted yes? What was their agenda then and what is their agenda now. I am amazed at how many people here on DU really believe that we will be getting out of these wars for profit by electing a person who either didn't see the truth or didn't care.

I only wish that more peoples families were being affected by this war because maybe then they would wake up and vote to end it. I guess most people figure if it doesn't hit them, its not their problem.

[slipslidingaway]

9. Kucinich......"There they go again."

"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."


http://www.kucinichforcongress.com/floor_speeches/iran_iran28sep.php

"Iran: Another Iraq WMD Hoax
Dennis Kucinich speaking from the Floor of the House

Link to this entry in the Congressional Record
Sep 28, 2006

"Iran should not have nuclear weapons; and, along with the United States as a signatory to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, should work with the community of nations to abolish all nuclear weapons, as is the express intent of the NPT.

"However, this Administration is trying to create an international crisis by inflating Iran's nuclear development into another Iraq WMD hoax. There they go again.

"Today, the House will consider a bill which will give the Administration a pass on covert activities it has already undertaken in Iran to attempt to destabilize the government. Additionally, today's bill will enable another Rendon-type propaganda machine to feed the US media a steady stream of lies, all to set the stage for a war against Iran.

"Think about it: this, without a single hearing on Iran in this Congress. Think about it: this, while the State Department and DOD are ducking even classified briefings.

"There is a Chinese proverb that says: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Will Congress be fooled again into supporting still another war against still another nation, which is not an imminent threat and which has no intention nor capability of attacking the United States?"



Legislation:

H.R. 6198, Iran Freedom Support Act, to hold the current regime in Iran accountable for its threatening behavior and to support a transition to democracy in Iran
H. Res. 1066, Requesting the President to provide to the House of Representatives certain documents in his possession relating to United States policy toward Iran."