Lone opponent of Afghanistan war feels vindicated [View all]

[jakeXT]

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) was the lone 'no' vote in Congress against the war in Afghanistan in 2001, voting against an authorization for use of military force (AUMF) shortly after the 9/11 attacks.

At the time, she came under attack for being unpatriotic, even receiving death threats. Today, she feels vindicated.

"When I voted 'no,' I said it was a blank check and would set the stage for perpetual war, and that's what it's done," she said in a recent interview with The Hill. "I think members now understand it was a blank check. No way should we give any president authority to wage a war forever."

The 2001 AUMF has been used more than 30 times to take military action in places including Afghanistan, the Philippines, Georgia, Yemen and Iraq, as well as several African nations. The same legislation is also used as justification for detaining individuals at Guantanamo Bay, according to a 2013 Congressional Research Service report.

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/227975-lone-opponent-of-afghan-war-feels-vindicated