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20 March 2023

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Today we are recognizing the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War. Many of us at CVA served in Iraq, and those who didn’t know someone who did. On this day, we are thinking about the courage and sacrifice displayed by our troops in Iraq. Thank you to those who served in Iraq.

The Hill | Senate votes to processed with repeal of authorization for Iraq, Gulf wars

The Senate on Thursday voted 68-27 to advance legislation that would repeal two war authorizations against Iraq, both of which remain on the books long after the conflicts have ended and as Iraq is now considered a strategic partner.

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Military Times | Wars in Iraq and Syria cost half a million lives, nearly $3T: report

The U.S. military is about to surpass 20 years since invading Iraq, a war that has cost more than 550,000 lives, and nearly $1.8 trillion, according to a report released Wednesday. The Costs of War project predicted the dollar amount will swell to $2.89 trillion by 2050, when factoring in the cost of caring for veterans of the Iraq war, and subsequent operations in Iraq and Syria to counter ISIS.

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Associated Press | Pentagon video shows Russian jet dumping fuel on US drone

The Biden administration released video Thursday of a Russian fighter jet dumping fuel on a U.S. Air Force surveillance drone as the U.S. sought to hold Russia responsible for the collision that led to the drone’s crash into the Black Sea without escalating already fraught tensions with the Kremlin.

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MSNBC | 20 years since the beginning of the war in Iraq

Senior Coalitions Adviser for Concerned Veterans for America, Jason Beardsley, joins Way Too Early to discuss the beginning of the war in Iraq.

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Washington Post | A Republican ‘civil war’ on Ukraine erupts as Reagan’s example fades

“What went underestimated for a long time is there are different political inclinations at play than saying ‘peace through strength’ zombie Reaganism,” said Reid Smith, vice president for foreign policy at the Koch-backed group Stand Together. “That was a knee-jerk political instinct for a lot of Republicans and still holds for some leadership factions within the House and Senate. But I don’t know if that’s attuned to the preferences and priorities of a political base that seems to be demanding additional restraint.”

Newsweek | The Iraq War began 20 years ago, but its impact will last decades to come

The ramifications of the war in Iraq, and our nation's endless wars in general, are already being felt and will continue for decades to come. They put our troops in untenable, unwinnable positions overseas, and leave them with no clear path to victory. That isn't just dangerous for those with boots on the ground. The danger follows us home in the form of low morale and feelings of purposelessness and our sacrifices and losses being in vain.

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Newsweek | It is time to get our troops home from Syria

Local terrorism in distant countries is not an existential threat to America and can be effectively managed by long distance capabilities and prudent alliance strategies. Local allies and their armies, local tribal militias and proxies, intelligence, and offshore naval presence are capable of managing the dual threat of rising terrorist movements and potential local hegemons, neither of which currently exist in Syria nor the greater Middle East. The threat of ISIS is currently minimal and if it rises again as a functioning state, it will not take us much time to return and crush it. In short, nothing in the region demands constant troop deployment and endless war.

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Fox News | This Democrat, Republican agree it’s time to get Iraq war laws off the books

This anniversary also warrants reflection on where war powers rest in our republic. Those troops we honor this month may be surprised to know the legal authorization to wage war against Iraq is still on the books today, even though it serves no operational purpose and Iraq is now a strategic partner. By failing to repeal this outdated authorization, we leave it subject to potential presidential misuse. Congress has effectively surrendered its responsibilities to declare and oversee wars to whoever happens to be president.

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New York Times | We revisited Iraq veterans 20 years later: ‘I don’t know how to explain the war to myself”

They were the army we had. They fought an enemy they couldn’t always see in a land they didn’t understand for reasons that were never entirely clear.

The Overwatch | My VA Story: Wheelchair bound Montana veteran wants to fix the VA so younger vets don’t face the same fate

For a man who’d served his country in a time of war, the worst battle he would fight was with the VA.

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The Overwatch | Iraq War vet says new military recruits “fighting the same battles as their parents”

“The sacrifices have been noble and brave,” Jason Beardsley says. “But those making them often didn’t know what the war’s objectives were, especially in Iraq.”

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