Jr Senator (MA), Democratic nominee for President:
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OR click here for John Kerry on other issues.
- Based vote for Iraq war on CIA’s intelligence reports. (Oct 2008)
- We stood up to Bush’s aimless and failed course in Iraq. (Mar 2008)
- Regrets nothing more that his 2002 vote for Iraq War. (Oct 2006)
- Ending Iraq war requires summit including Iran & Syria. (Jun 2006)
- Focus on the real war on terror and find bin Laden. (Oct 2004)
- The $87 billion bill gives a slush fund to Halliburton. (Oct 2004)
- North Korea’s got nuclear weapons due to Bush’s ambivalence. (Sep 2004)
- Need credible Arab partner to negotiate with Israel. (Sep 2004)
- Pre-emptive strike ok only when US survival at stake. (Jan 2004)
- Get US more deeply involved in Arab-Israeli peace process. (Nov 2003)
- Leadership comes from experience: share the war burden. (Oct 2003)
- Supported Kosovo action & Powell Doctrine. (Oct 2003)
- Palestinians renounce right of return; get treated equally. (Oct 2003)
- Against a misapplied blanket pre-emptive doctrine. (Jun 2003)
Afghanistan
- The right war was Osama bin Laden and Afghanistan. (Oct 2004)
- FactCheck: US didn’t have bin Laden surrounded at Tora Bora. (Oct 2004)
- Bush outsourced to Afghan warlords to kill Osama bin Laden. (Sep 2004)
- Afghanistan, where Osama bin Laden is, is forgotten. (Sep 2004)
- Hunting Osama-not Saddam-should be priority. (Sep 2004)
- Afghanistan incursion justified and not the same as Vietnam. (Apr 2004)
- Supported 1998 missile attacks against Afghanistan & Sudan. (Apr 2004)
Iraq
- Bush-McCain stategy in Iraq is policy to stay, not to win. (Sep 2007)
- No al-Qaeda in Iraq in 2002; we invaded under false pretense. (Sep 2007)
- Democrats proposing success in Iraq by political solution. (Sep 2007)
- Reduce US military presence in Iraq; and bring in neighbors. (Sep 2007)
- War in Iraq was founded & perpetuated on lies, like Vietnam. (Jun 2006)
- Relieve troops by adding divisions and use Guard in US. (Oct 2004)
- FactCheck: Shinseki retirement was pushed but not forced. (Oct 2004)
- Reach out to our allies to deal with the chaos in Iraq. (Oct 2004)
- Would have given Clinton the power to use force if necessary. (Oct 2004)
- We have trained many and are spending a lot in Iraq. (Oct 2004)
- Iraq is diverting our attention from the real war on terror. (Sep 2004)
- “Last resort” means something to someone who’s seen combat. (Sep 2004)
- Iraq wasn’t the center of the war on terror before invasion. (Sep 2004)
- It’s getting worse by the day in Iraq. (Sep 2004)
- The oil ministry is guarded but not the nuclear facilities. (Sep 2004)
- Make sure the outcome of war honors soldiers’ nobility. (Sep 2004)
- The US has no long-term designs on staying in Iraq. (Sep 2004)
- 90 percent of our Army is in Iraq instead of fighting terror. (Sep 2004)
- The issue of Saddam Hussein was what to do about it. (Sep 2004)
- Wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time. (Sep 2004)
- Never fight a war without enough troops and a plan to win. (Aug 2004)
- Need two army divisions for now-but no draft. (Feb 2004)
- Only go to war if we have to, not because we want to. (Jan 2004)
- De-Americanize Iraq: the exit strategy is victory. (Sep 2003)
- Don’t send more US troops to Iraq-share power & share burden. (Sep 2003)
- Intelligence information should not be manipulated. (Jun 2003)
- Disarm Saddam, but war should be a last resort. (May 2003)
- Preferred diplomacy, but supported invading Iraq. (May 2003)
Iraq Criticism
- Meant to bash Bush, but ending up bashing soldiers in Iraq. (Nov 2006)
- Bush rushed to war without having a plan to win the peace. (Oct 2004)
- UN sanctions were to remove the WMD, not Saddam. (Oct 2004)
- Bush’s job was to win the peace, not just the war. (Oct 2004)
- Iraqi war is a catastrophic mistake. (Oct 2004)
- FactCheck: Bush has spent $120B in Iraq, not $200B. (Oct 2004)
- It’s wrong to make America bear 90% of war casualties. (Sep 2004)
- Bush Sr said our troops would be occupiers in a hostile land. (Sep 2004)
- Bush promised not to make war inevitable but did just that. (Sep 2004)
- Bush misled the American people. (Sep 2004)
- Saddam Hussein didn’t attack us, Osama bin Laden did. (Sep 2004)
- Halliburton should not be a factor that pushes allies away. (Sep 2004)
- It was a coalition of three countries when we went in Iraq. (Sep 2004)
- Preferred strong alliances when Bush decided to go to war. (Sep 2004)
- War decisions guided by facts not distorted by politics. (Jul 2004)
- Bring allies to share our burden in fighting terrorism. (Jul 2004)
- Bush has broken his promises & is mismanaging war. (Oct 2003)
- Don’t miss 3rd opportunity in Iraq to bring in UN. (Sep 2003)
Swift Boat
- Veteran biography strategy failed with “Reporting for duty”. (Oct 2005)
Vietnam
- Kerry now fully engaged in fighting Swift Boat Veterans. (May 2006)
- Kerry releases Navy records to prove his version of Vietnam. (May 2006)
- Caught off-guard in 2004 by unexpected attacks on war record. (May 2006)
- Vietnamese villagers say Swift Vets’ account is incorrect. (Oct 2004)
- Swift Boat Vets attack Kerry’s medals. (Aug 2004)
- Kerry’s C.O. says Kerry deserved his Silver Star? (Aug 2004)
- Man Kerry rescued says Kerry deserved his Bronze Star. (Aug 2004)
- Only veteran to testify to congress about Vietnam. (Jul 2004)
- Accused US government of war crime, not veterans. (Jul 2004)
- Before enlisting, believed in the US saving face in Vietnam. (Jul 2004)
- Condemned early Vietnam protests as “irresponsible”. (Jul 2004)
- Anti-Vietnam but not left-wing anti-war. (Apr 2004)
- Kerry saves life under fire, awarded Bronze Star. (Apr 2004)
- Word “atrocity” is too strong, though it reflected anger. (Apr 2004)
- Vietnam was genocide, but no point calling it “war crimes”. (May 2001)
- O’Neil: Kerry’s VVAW comments are libel against veterans. (Jun 1971)
- VVAW says what’s wrong so we can put out country right. (Jun 1971)
- War crimes by leadership policy, not personal atrocities. (Jun 1971)
- Vietnamization just changed the color of the bodies fighting. (Jun 1971)
- US actions in Vietnam were counter to Geneva Conventions. (Jun 1971)
- Objected to war policy while in Vietnam, and after. (Jun 1971)
- Vietnam didn’t threaten US; US war crimes did. (Apr 1971)
- Vietnam war was criminal hypocrisy and tore apart US. (Apr 1971)
- How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake. (Apr 1971)
- US soldiers committed atrocities in Vietnam, including me. (Apr 1971)
Voting Record
- Voted for Iraq war in 2002, but voted against 2004 funding. (Nov 2006)
- Voted against a $87 billion supplemental that hurts veterans. (Sep 2004)
- I’d vote to authorize war, but with allies. (Aug 2004)
- Karl Rove: “Kerry gave green light to Bush on Iraq”. (Apr 2004)
- No regrets on war vote-but regrets on Bush breaking promises. (Feb 2004)
- Bush went to war the wrong way-I voted for the right way. (Jan 2004)
- Maybe on $87B for Iraq-repeal Bush tax cut to pay it, if yes. (Sep 2003)
- Vote for war was needed to push Saddam on inspectors. (Sep 2003)
- $87B for Iraq only when internationalization is addressed. (Sep 2003)
- Voted YES on redeploying non-essential US troops out of Iraq in 9 months. (Dec 2007)
- Voted NO on designating Iran's Revolutionary Guards as terrorists. (Sep 2007)
- Voted YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008. (Mar 2007)
- Voted YES on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007. (Jun 2006)
- Voted YES on investigating contract awards in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Nov 2005)
- Voted NO on $86 billion for military operations in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Oct 2003)
- Voted YES on authorizing use of military force against Iraq. (Oct 2002)
- Voted NO on allowing all necessary force in Kosovo. (May 1999)
- Voted YES on authorizing air strikes in Kosovo. (Mar 1999)
- Voted NO on ending the Bosnian arms embargo. (Jul 1995)
- Condemns anti-Muslim bigotry in name of anti-terrorism. (Oct 2001)
- Deploy UN multinational peacekeeping force in Darfur. (Jul 2007)
- Move the US Embassy to Jerusalem. (Nov 1995)
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Written by
Deval Patrick on War & Peace
Jeff Beatty on War & Peace
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