WASHINGTON: More than two decades later, Congress is on the verge of writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq. The Senate voted Thursday to repeal the resolution that authorized the 2003 US invasion, following a House vote last month that would return the basic war power to Congress. The amendment by Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, and Indiana Sen. Todd Young, a Republican, was approved by voice vote to an annual defense authorization bill that passed the Senate late Thursday &mdash; a unanimous endorsement for ending the war that many now view as a mistake. Iraqi deaths were estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and nearly 5,000 US troops were killed in the war after President George W. Bush&rsquo;s administration falsely claimed that then-President Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the way the war ends, not with a bang but a whimper,&rdquo; Kaine said after the vote, which lasted only a few seconds with no debate and no objections. Still, he said, &ldquo;America is forever changed by those wars, and the Middle East is too.&rdquo; Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the United States. The House added a similar amendment to its version of the defense measure in September, meaning the repeal is likely to end up in the final bill once the two chambers reconcile the two pieces of legislation. Both bills also repeal the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the US-led Gulf War. While Congress appears poised to pass the repeal, it is unclear whether President Donald Trump will support it. During his first term, his administration cited the 2002 Iraq resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 US drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani. It has otherwise been rarely used. Young said after the vote that he thinks Trump should &ldquo;take great pride&rdquo; in signing the bill after campaigning on ending so-called &ldquo;forever wars,&rdquo; especially because he would be the first president in recent history to legally end a longstanding war. He said the vote establishes an important precedent. &ldquo;Congress is now very clearly asserting that it is our prerogative and our responsibility not only to authorize but also to bring to an end military conflicts,&rdquo; Young said. The bipartisan vote, added to the larger bipartisan defense measure, came amid a bitter partisan standoff over a weeklong government shutdown. Young said the quick vote was an &ldquo;extraordinary moment&rdquo; that he hopes &ldquo;will help some people see that we can still do consequential things in the U.S. Congress.&rdquo; The Senate also voted to repeal the 2002 resolution two years ago on a 66-30 vote. While some Republicans privately told Kaine that they were still opposed to the measure, none objected to the unanimous vote on the floor Thursday evening. A separate 2001 authorization for the global war on terror would remain in place under the bill. While the 2002 and 1991 resolutions are rarely used and focused on just one country, Iraq, the 2001 measure gave President George W. Bush broad authority for the invasion of Afghanistan, approving force &ldquo;against those nations, organizations, or persons&rdquo; that planned or aided the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Passed in September 2001, it has been used in recent years to justify US military action against groups &mdash; including al-Qaida and its affiliates, such as the Islamic State group and al-Shabab &mdash; that are deemed to be a threat against America.

Americas

Congress is set to withdraw the 2002 Iraq War authorization with bipartisan support, formally ending the conflict and reinforcing congressional war powers, as Iraq is now seen as a strategic US ally.


US Senate unanimously endorses repeal of 2002 Iraq war resolution

Reuters

WASHINGTON: A group of US senators introduced on Thursday the first Senate resolution to urge recognition of a Palestinian state, further signaling a shift in Washington sentiment toward Israel nearly two years into its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.&nbsp;The Democratic-led measure is unlikely to pass the chamber where President Donald Trump&#39;s Republicans have a 53-47 majority. Trump said on Thursday he disagreed with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer over whether to recognize a Palestinian state, and no Republicans have joined efforts to do so.&nbsp;Democrat Jeff Merkley of Oregon, who is leading the effort, said in a statement: &quot;America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now.&quot;&nbsp;The resolution urges US recognition of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel and would offer both sides hope while boosting prospects for peace, Merkley said.&nbsp;In the House of Representatives, Ro Khanna of California is circulating a letter in an effort to rally support for the recognition of Palestinian statehood.&nbsp;The actions reflect a shift among lawmakers toward pressuring Israel to end the war and ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the conflict approaches the two-year mark.&nbsp;The Israeli embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;The Senate resolution&#39;s other co-sponsors are Democrats Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Peter Welch of Vermont, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, as well as Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.&nbsp;Sanders on Wednesday became the first US senator to describe events in Gaza as a genocide.&nbsp;A United Nations Commission of Inquiry concluded this week that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. Israel said the findings were biased and based on unverified evidence.&nbsp;A handful of US allies are preparing to recognize a Palestinian state as world leaders meet at the UN General Assembly in New York next week.&nbsp;A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll last month showed that a majority of Americans - 58% - believe that every country in the United Nations should recognize Palestine as a nation.&nbsp;The Palestinian death toll from the war surpassed 65,000 on Wednesday, Gaza health authorities say. About 1,200 people were killed in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.&nbsp;Israel says 48 hostages remain in Gaza, and around 20 are still alive.

Democrat Jeff Merkley, who is leading the effort, says, "America has a responsibility to lead, and the time to act is now."

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US Senate unanimously endorses repeal of 2002 Iraq war resolution

Democratic-led US Senate resolution seeks recognition of Palestinian state