2014 AR Senate debate: on War & Peace

Mark Swaney: Iraq war was a waste, based on a lie

Swaney wants voters to know he thinks the Iraq war unnecessarily took the lives of many U.S. soldiers and cost the country trillions of dollars. "It did nothing to help Iraq or preserve our national security," Swaney said. "It was a war that was a waste, it was based on a lie and, as far as I'm concerned, those who served in the war served honorably and well. I have no problem with people who served in the war, but those who ordered the war and those who pushed us into that war are guilty or perpetrating a national disgrace. When I'm in office, I will do as much as I can to promote peaceful foreign policies."

Tom Cotton: Jihadists attack us for who we are

Former NYC Mayor RUDY GIULIANI: You have to go where the evidence takes you. Profiling is perfectly legal and perfectly legitimate if you're following objective evidence. Unfortunately, a significant number of these attacks come about from this distorted Islamic extremist ideology. So you can't ignore it. You've got to go after it.

REP. TOM COTTON: The mayor makes the core point: that jihadists around the world don't attack us for the actions we take, they attack us for who we are. We are freedom's home, and we are freedom's defender. It didn't take Guantanamo Bay, it didn't take drones, to knock down those towers on 9-11. If we grounded every drone, if we close Guantanamo Bay, they'd find another pretext to attack us.

Tom Cotton: Iraq War was just and noble

COTTON: The Iraq war wasn't just a noble war. I joined the army after 9/11, after the Iraq war was started. I joined in part because I wanted to go fight on the front lines. After the surge, I felt that we succeeded. And we have a generation of veterans whose accomplishments in Iraq we should celebrate; and now who are going to be leaders all around the country. We're going to make America a better place.

Q: Was it worth it to the lives that were lost there? Was it worth it with the trillions of dollars that we've spent there?

COTTON: I would say it was worth it, but it was also a little bit too soon to tell because there's nothing ever certain in human affairs. But if you look at the accomplishment of our troops in Iraq, they deposed an evil tyrant who was an aggressive international dictator. He had demonstrated the ability and the will to use weapons of mass destruction. Under those conditions, it was a just and noble war.