(WASHINGTON D.C., 3/29/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the Senate’s repeal of the 1991 and 2002 Authorization for Use for Military Force (AUMF) acts that were used to invade Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War and again in 2003.
CAIR is now calling on the House leaders to vote on similar repeal legislation, in addition to repealing the 2001 AUMF that has been used by four presidents to authorize counterterrorism operations in at least 19 countries, including Iraq, contributing to America’s decades long “forever wars.”
Repealing the 1991 and 2003 AUMFs would prevent any current or future U.S. president from carrying out an attack in Iraq without first gaining prior approval of Congress. Those acts were used by the last administration to justify the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Iraq.
In a statement, CAIR Director of Government Affairs Department Robert S. McCaw said:
“CAIR welcomes the Senate’s long overdue repeal of the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs and calls on House leaders to adopt similar legislation, in addition to repealing the 2001 ‘forever war on terror’ AUMF that has been used to conduct ongoing and open-ended counter terrorism operations in at least 19 countries.
“Repealing the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs is a good first step but just not enough. Congress should now take a bold and courageous step towards ending this destructive cycle and to work towards a foreign policy that is based on diplomacy, human rights, and justice.”
Background
Today the U.S. Senate voted 66-30 to repeal 1991 and 2002 AUMFs that authorized use of force in Iraq, more than twenty years after the U.S. invasion of the country.
On March 16, the Senate voted 68-27 in favor of advancing Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IN) legislation to repeal the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs to coincide with the 20 anniversary of the most recent U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) had filed an amendment that would have also repealed the 2001 AUMF but it failed to gain traction and support. The 2001 AUMF has been used by four presidents to authorize counterterrorism operations in at least 19 countries, including Iraq, contributing to America’s decades long “forever wars.”
In the House, Representatives Barbra Lee (D-CA) and Chip Roy (R-TX), along with bipartisan support, have introduced a companion bill to the Senate’s 1991 and 2002 AUMF repeal measure.
While Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) supports the eventual repeal of these two Iraq-focused war power resolutions, he has been quoted by The Hill saying, “I still want to take actions if there are terrorists anywhere around the world. If we’re keeping that one AUMF and removing another one, that’s personally where I am.” That is in reference to keeping and not repealing the 2001 AUMF.
It remains to be seen whether Representatives Lee and Roy’s bill will be taken up by the House Armed Services Committee or another standalone bill will be considered as during this year’s National Defense Authorization Act markup, the annual spending bill that funds the U.S. military and defense programs.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, [email protected]; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, [email protected]