Congressman Jim McDermott's
Statement on Iraq conflict
For Immediate Release - March 19, 2003

My prayers are with our troops and the Iraqi people: that our troops will return home safely and that deaths of innocent Iraqi children and other civilians will be avoided.

I love my country, and I support the young people who will be ordered into this fight.

I do not agree with the path that President Bush has chosen. This war was avoidable. I fear that bypassing the United Nations and demanding regime change by force instead of working toward peaceful disarmament is a dangerous step for our nation.

An important difference between our country and Iraq is that we can and do speak out. Americans should continue to exercise their Constitutional right to express their beliefs.

The legacies of war remain with us forever. We now owe the Iraqi people the fulfillment of the promises our President has made to them.