WASHINGTON DC, United States - The United States Senate on Thursday took a step towards revoking the law that allowed the country to launch a war against Iraq in 2003, a decision welcomed on the streets of the capital. Almost exactly 20 years after the US invasion, the Senate voted in favor of a bill cancelling the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF), which were used by former presidents George HW Bush and George W. Bush to attack Iraq. Ending the authorizations will prevent future administrations from “abusing” them, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The 2002 AUMF was used to justify former President Donald Trump’s decision to assassinate Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad. Americans on the streets of Washington welcomed the Senate’s decision, saying Iraq is no longer an active threat to US security. “Nothing good comes out of war,” said Roberto Martini, a teacher. “I just think it’s a good thing to bring the troops back home, end war.” The senate is expected to hold a final vote on the bill next week, before sending it to the House of Representatives. “I don’t think Iraq itself, and certainly not the Iraqi government, is any threat to the United States,” Rich Belly, a doctor, told Rudaw on Thursday. He acknowledged the ongoing threat from the Islamic State (ISIS), but said it is “a separate issue from the Iraqi government… I don’t think we need a war declaration for that.” The US security relationship with Iraq fully transitioned into an advising and assisting role in December 2021 and there are currently about 2,500 US troops in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region. During a visit to Baghdad earlier this month, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that Washington’s sole purpose for staying in Iraq is its focus on ensuring the defeat of ISIS.
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