The Danger of a Quagmire in Iraq and Syria
To the Editor:
Re “The Military Escalation in Iraq and Syria” (editorial, Oct. 28):
You are right: Greater involvement in Syria and Iraq will not make us any safer. But it will cost more lives in an endless war with no exit strategy.
As Paul Ryan begins his tenure as speaker of the House, he has an important duty to restore Congress’s constitutional role in debating and authorizing war. For Mr. Ryan’s first order of business, he should advance the repeal of the 2001 and 2002 war authorizations, which are still being used for military action in the Middle East. We owe the American people a debate on the merits of further intervention in Iraq and Syria.
How can Congress ask our service members to risk their lives when it lacks the courage to debate this war?
(Rep.) BARBARA LEE
Oakland, Calif.
The writer, a California Democrat, is chairwoman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus’s Peace and Security Task Force.