Patrick Leahy: “I can say, beyond any doubt, that Vermonters across the political spectrum are very concerned about our policy toward…”

“I can say, beyond any doubt, that Vermonters across the political spectrum are very concerned about our policy toward Iraq. They are worried that we are shifting our focus away from ending the violence in the Middle East, eliminating al-Qaida, and rebuilding Afghanistan even though that Herculean task has barely begun. The President has sent to Congress a proposed resolution for the use of military force against Iraq. It would permit the President to take any action whatsoever to 'defend the national security interests of the United States against the threat posed by Iraq, and restore international peace and security in the region.' While I hope this is the beginning of a consultative, bipartisan process to produce a sensible resolution and to act on it at the appropriate time, the current proposal is an extraordinarily over-broad, open-ended resolution that would authorize the President to send American troops not only into war against Iraq, but also against any nation in the Gulf or Middle East region, however one defines it.”