Iraq
I opposed going to war against Iraq and voted against giving President Bush the authority to wage war on Iraq. It is now clear that the administration overstated the threat presented by Iraq, as no weapons of mass destruction have been found. It is also clear that President Bush was not prepared for the aftermath of the war. U.S. soldiers are now mired in a dangerous and deadly situation. They are subject to nearly 20 attacks a day and we are now losing almost 7 young soldiers each week. While I firmly support our troops, I voted against the additional $87 billion President Bush requested for Iraq. I did so because it continues a failing policy and unfairly burdens American taxpayers for the cost of rebuilding Iraq at a time of record deficits and when we can't even meet our domestic needs - failing schools, crumbling hospitals, outdated electricity grid, and gaps in our homeland security.

 

Now that the U.S. has removed Saddam Hussein's government, we must recognize that our actions in post-war Iraq are as important, if not more important, than our actions during the war. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has refused to recognize that its unilateral strategy is not working. Abandoning Iraq now that we removed its prior government is not an option. The U.S. must do more to bring in allies and international organizations to the reconstruction of Iraq. Our recent efforts to seek greater U.N. involvement are a start, but a comprehensive and genuine effort to enlist others to share the burden in Iraq is required.

 

Investigating Pre-War Intelligence
This was a war of choice, billed as a war of necessity. President Bush and his advisors and staff regularly overstated the threat presented by Iraq and the certainty of the evidence of that threat. While it certainly seemed likely that Saddam Hussein had some weapons of mass destruction, we clearly did not have evidence of any immediate threat to our national security from Iraq. Rather than apprising the American people of the facts, they used spin and deception to win support for this unnecessary war.

 

I believe these misrepresentations should be investigated by the Congress to determine whether the Bush Administration deliberately falsified intelligence and mislead members of Congress. I have cosponsored legislation (H. Res. 307, H. Res. 410, H.R. 2625) to do just that.

 

The Middle East
I am committed to ending the terrorist attacks on Israel and ensuring Israel's security. I also support the Palestinian peoples' aspirations for a state of their own and for the improvement of humanitarian conditions. Like everyone, I am deeply saddened by the terrorism that has plagued Israel for nearly three years. I condemn all acts of terrorism against Israel unequivocally. The murder of innocent Israelis must stop. Those who would perpetrate these senseless and vicious acts of terror should understand that they prevent the realization of the Palestinian people's goal of a state of their own.

 

Most importantly I am dedicated to the peace process because it is the only way to ensure the long-term security of a Jewish state of Israel and achieve the Palestinians' long sought goal of statehood.

I was very disappointed that direct U.S. involvement in the Middle East effectively ended when President Bush came to office. While it is true that the Clinton Administration was not able to bring about a final peace agreement, American involvement has always decreased the violence in the Middle East. I am pleased that Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Bush finally decided to join the peace effort. I believe the U.S. must be an honest broker throughout this difficult process. The U.S. is the only country that can arrange a settlement between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Our country must continue to exercise leadership by urging both parties to return to the negotiating table. Innocent Israelis and Palestinians die nearly every day. It is my sincere hope that we will see peace in the Middle East during my lifetime. This will only be accomplished when both sides make compromises.

Afghanistan
On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, we witnessed the greatest assault on the United States in our history. Almost 3000 innocent civilians were murdered. No one will ever forget the tragic images and tremendous losses we witnessed that day.

 

I supported the war against al Qaeda and removing the ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan. It was clear that the al Qaeda terrorist network based in Afghanistan was behind the 9/11 attacks. We needed to take action to dismantle that terrorist network, destroy its bases, and remove the Taliban regime that permitted al Qaeda to operate freely. The men and women in our armed forces did an outstanding job. The terrorist bases have been destroyed and the tyrannical Taliban regime no longer runs Afghanistan.

 

It is critical to now follow that success by remaining in Afghanistan as part of an international coalition and ensuring that it does not fall back in to chaos. Following the fall of the Taliban, I supported an expanded international security force to restore stability to all of Afghanistan. Regrettably, the Bush Administration refused to allow the international force to operate beyond the capital of Kabul. This has allowed warlords to fill the power vacuums outside Kabul and threatens to undermine our progress. Fortunately, it appears that President Bush is lifting his objection and will allow the international security force to expand beyond Kabul. I fervently hope this is the case, so that security and stability can be provided to all of Afghanistan.

 

Fair Trade, Not Free Trade
Recently the president signed free-trade agreements (FTAs) with Chile and Singapore. His administration is currently negotiating a "Free Trade Agreement of the Americas" that would expand NAFTA to the entire western hemisphere. These agreements fail to protect American jobs from unfair foreign competition. Because they hold our trading partners to much lower standards than are required in the United States, FTAs cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs and erode the bargaining power of our workers.

 

Human Rights/Latin America
As a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I have been working to condemn and combat human rights abuses around the world. I have been particularly active in Latin America, where numerous countries have been plagued by massive human rights abuses. As the western hemisphere's dominant power, the U.S. has supported numerous regimes in Latin America that were responsible to widespread abuses. During the last century, this support was part of the U.S. larger efforts to combat communism. It is critical for our government to be open about the role the U.S. played during this period.

I succeeded in passing legislation that required the CIA to report to Congress on its involvement in the 1973 coup of Chile's democratically elected President, Salvador Allende. Following the coup, President Allende was assassinated and General Augusto Pinochet began his 17-year dictatorship. The report, now known as the Hinchey Report, makes a clear case that the United States - at the very highest levels of our government - was deeply involved in the destabilization of Chile's government and economy over a period of nearly twenty years. The Hinchey Report revealed that, beginning in the early 1960s and continuing through the late 1970s, the U.S. funneled millions of dollars to opposition groups to prevent the rise to power of the Chilean left. The CIA admitted its participation in an unsuccessful 1970 plot to prevent President Allende from taking office and its knowledge of the 1973 coup that led to Allende's death and the rise of Pinochet.

Currently I am drafting legislation to investigate what role the U.S. played in the human rights abuses throughout Latin America during the Cold War.

 

Exposing Nazis in Argentina
In May 2003 I introduced a resolution, H. Res. 235, calling on Argentina to build upon the steps it has already taken to shed light on the relocation of Nazis to Argentina following the end of World War II, and to make public all official records pertaining to this era.

 

Just sixty years ago, the world witnessed the most horrific crime ever perpetrated - Hitler's campaign of genocide that resulted in the deaths of 6 million Jews, 220,000 Roma, 200,000 mentally and physically disabled persons, and millions more homosexuals, Russians, Poles, and others. This campaign, known as Hitler's Final Solution, was carried out with ruthless efficiency by Hitler's Nazi regime and its collaborators.

 

Many of those responsible for carrying out the Holocaust escaped prosecution and Europe and sought refuge in Argentina, where the government of Juan Peron offered them safe haven. That era of Argentina's history is now over and Argentina has attempted to come to grips with its history.

 

Despite these efforts, there is much we don't know about this era. Historians and researchers are still encountering obstacles to Argentina's archives as repeated requests for documentation from that time period have been disregarded or refused.

 

The world must always learn from its history; knowledge of past events can guard against such things occurring in the future. Access to these records is necessary to form a full understanding of Holocaust's aftermath and to thwart future attempts by war criminals to avoid prosecution.

 

Moreover, the Nazis and war criminals who avoided prosecution for their roles in the Holocaust must be exposed. The world deserves to know of their crimes and their fates. The people of Argentina deserve nothing less than complete knowledge of their country's history. And the families of Holocaust victims deserve a full account of this time period. By making all of its information public, the government of Argentina, will be making an enormous contribution to all those who seek an accurate accounting of history.