Political Positions of Harry Reid - Iraq War

Iraq War

Reid voted in January 1991 to authorize military force in Iraq to liberate Kuwait. On the Senate floor, Reid quoted from John F. Kennedy's 1963 State of the Union speech by saying "the mere absence of war is not Peace". According to The New York Times, the "Senate approved the use of military force by a vote of 52 to 47" with ten out of the fifty-five Senate Democrats voting in support.

Reid voted in support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In March 2007, he voted in favor of "redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008". Reid said on April 19, 2007 "I believe, myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense, and — you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows — this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq yesterday." Reid said he told President Bush he thought the war could not be won through military force, although he said the U.S. could still pursue political, economic and diplomatic means to bring peace to Iraq. He also said, "As long as we follow the President's path in Iraq, the war is lost. But there is still a chance to change course and we must change course. No one wants us to succeed in the Middle East more than I do. But there must be a change of course. Our brave men and women overseas have passed every test with flying colors. They have earned our pride and our praise. More important, they deserve a strategy worthy of their sacrifice."

In an April 22, 2007 appearance on FOX News Sunday, Reid's Senatorial colleague Charles Schumer stated, "The war is not lost. And Harry Reid believes this — we Democrats believe it — if we change our mission and focus it more narrowly on counter-terrorism, going after an Al Qaida camp that might arise in Iraq. That would take many fewer troops out of harm's way. That's what we're pushing the president to do."

On September 10, 2007, the Commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq David H. Petraeus presented a "Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq". He stated that "As a bottom line up front, the military objectives of the surge are, in large measure, being met." The New York Times reported on September 11 that Petraeus had "warned in stark terms against the kind of rapid pullback favored by the Democratic majorities in the House and Senate". Reid stated that the general's "plan is just more of the same" and "is neither a drawdown or a change in mission that we need." He also said that Congressional Democrats plan "change the course of the war". Petraeus will "make a further assessment and recommendations next March".