Elijah Cummings: “Tomorrow marks 6 years since America experienced its worst foreign terrorist attack. I send my solemn prayers to the…”

“Tomorrow marks 6 years since America experienced its worst foreign terrorist attack. I send my solemn prayers to the families of the victims and the survivors of the September 11 attack, where nearly 3,000 persons lost their lives. Although no amount of time can ever bring back the ones you cherish or erase the memories of the tragic event, it is my hope that their wounds have begun to heal. While the world and the United States mourned the loss of innocent lives that day, we also sought answers as to who had attacked us and what would be our next steps. Rather than focusing on those responsible for organizing these attacks, President Bush and his administration diverted our efforts and refocused our resources to fight the global war on terror by waging war against the regime of Saddam Hussein via a preemptive strike. The administration presented its erroneous case by drawing on allegations that Iran had weapons of mass destruction, that it was a clear threat to the United States, and that it was connected with al Qaeda. While failing to gain the support of the global community, this administration continued on with its ill-conceived stance on Iraq, convincing the majority of the Congress to vote in favor of entering a war where only 5 years later we continue to pay heavily. And what exactly has been the cost? It has cost over $450 billion in taxpayers hard-earned dollars, according to the Congressional Research Service.”