Lynn C. Woolsey: “it has been a little over 1 year since the President of the United States, without just cause and without being…”

“it has been a little over 1 year since the President of the United States, without just cause and without being provoked, invaded Iraq. Over 700 Americans have given their lives for this war, roughly 10 each week, not to mention the thousands wounded, the billions of dollars spent, and the international good will squandered. This is the same President Bush who last week could not think of a mistake he had made. We were told that this war was necessary to keep us safe. We were told Saddam Hussein had the world's most dangerous weapons and could strike at any moment. Now even the President has made tacky jokes about looking for the missing weapons of mass destruction under his White House sofa. That was certainly an insensitive mistake. In fact, the President's appetite for belligerence and bloodshed only weakens us, it makes us more vulnerable, encouraging further violence and increasing the risk of nuclear destruction. The President's inaccurate declaration about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities are not just incompetent, they are immoral. And what a mistake that was. There has to be a better way, and there is, one that emphasizes brains instead of brawn, one that is consistent with American values. I have introduced legislation to create a SMART security platform for the 21st century. SMART stands for Sensible, Multilateral American Response to Terrorism.…”