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USA can no longer use the 2002 Authorization of invading Iraq
The House of Representatives has voted in favor to repeal the 2002 ‘Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq’ (AUMF). It is the Authorization that allowed the US military to invade Iraq in 2003 and depose Saddam Hussein.
According to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the 2002 Authorization "is no longer necessary in 2021", and it would stop future presidential administrations from “reaching back into the legal dustbin to use it as a justification for military adventurism.
According to RT, Some 49 House Republicans voted in favor of the repeal on Thursday. Only one Democrat – Elaine Luria of Virginia – voted against.
The House bill was sponsored by Representative Barbara Lee. Yesterday she tweeted, "tomorrow, the House will vote on my bill to repeal the 2002 Iraq AUMF. After nearly 20 years, this brings us one step closer to ending forever wars and reestablishing Congress’s authority over matters of war and peace."
Many Democratic lawmakers had publicly expressed their support for the bill. For them the outdated 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) has been used to justify military action without Congressional approval.
Several Republicans in the House and Senate had also expressed support for the repeal. While others, however, have been vocal in their opposition to the repeal.
The bill now advances to the Senate where it will need 60 votes to pass.
President Joe Biden’s White House endorsed the move on Monday, saying that it “would likely have minimal impact on current military operations.”
“The President is committed to working with the Congress to ensure that outdated authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow and specific framework appropriate to ensure that we can continue to protect Americans from terrorist threats,” its statement read.
Source: RT
Image source: Getty Images-RT
