Lynn C. Woolsey: “Today marks a sad and tragic day in American history. Today is the fifth anniversary of the House joint resolution which…”

“Today marks a sad and tragic day in American history. Today is the fifth anniversary of the House joint resolution which authorized the use of American Armed Forces against Iraq. I was among the 133 Members of the House who voted ``no'' on that resolution. But our voices could not be heard over the deafening spin machine of fear and misinformation that came from the administration. We were told about mushroom clouds, yellow cake, and weapons of mass destruction. They all turned out to be fairytales. But they became the rationale of something America should never, never do: wage a war of choice. But now the American people know that our involvement in Iraq is folly, and in 2006 they sent us to Congress to end the occupation. Iraq is not the American people's war; it is the administration's war. And it goes on because the administration has turned a deaf ear to the will of the people. The administration looks to our involvement in South Korea as the model for Iraq. That means a permanent occupation that may last half a century or more. Who wants this? The American people don't want it. The Iraqi people don't want it. The people of the Middle East don't want it. Our allies don't want it. The world does not want it. Iraq is the symptom of a foreign policy that is fatally flawed.”