State of Rhode Island Archives: on War & Peace

Bob Flanders: Chinese expansion in the Far East must be constrained

Mark Zaccaria: We should leave Iraq & Afghanistan once we win

A: We should win them, and then leave. Here's how: we should do it just like we did in Germany, Japan, and South Korea. You could argue that it took America fifty years to change the cultures of those three former adversaries. By putting in that time and effort, though, we forged three staunch allies and trading partners. That's the model we now have to follow in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I think the war in Afghanistan was an appropriate response to the attacks on 9/11. What diverted our attention and our resources in Afghanistan was the invasion of Iraq. It's a mess, but it is our mess. In the wise words of Colin Powell, we broke it so we own it. Do I wish we had never undertaken military action in Iraq? Of course. War should always be the absolute last resort.

Lincoln Chafee: Only Republican to vote against Iraq war?but keep Rumsfeld

LAFFEY: I have called for the resignation of Rumsfeld. We took the worst case scenario to go to war but then we use one of the rosiest cases to win the war. I come from the business world and we have to hold people accountable so my opponent has complained about the war and called Rumsfeld arrogant but wants to keep him around. I think he should leave. I think we should re-energize that.

CHAFEE: Laffey criticized me for not calling for Rumsfeld’s resignation as he has, and by saying that job is not going well in Iraq and Rumsfeld should step down, that maybe that vindicates my vote against the war in Iraq. The only Republican to vote against the war in Iraq. Laffey is very critical of me when I cast that vote as we traveled around the state at joint appearances. Very, very critical of Chafee’s vote against the war. I suppose now you might say that was a good vote.

Lincoln Chafee: Support a timetable if diplomacy does not work

CHAFEE: That’s the biggest issue facing this country, what we do in the Middle East and particularly in Iraq. We have to work with those countries around Iraq. There’re six countries that share a border with Iraq. And they all have a vested interest. A couple of them our adversary, Syria and Iran, we need their help in stabilizing what’s happening in Iraq. If we can’t work with those countries, I would support a timetable.

LAFFEY: The plan is this?we told people of the world that we would make Iraq a stable place. By stable, we really mean it’s a place that’s no threat to itself. No threat to the neighboring countries and no threat to the US. That means taking troops in Iraq, Iraqi troops and taking them to Europe to train them and bring them back. We have to train those troops so that we can get them to stand up so eventually we can stand down.

Stephen Laffey: Take the Iraqi troops to Europe to train them

CHAFEE: That’s the biggest issue facing this country, what we do in the Middle East and particularly in Iraq. We have to work with those countries around Iraq. There’re six countries that share a border with Iraq. And they all have a vested interest. A couple of them our adversary, Syria and Iran, we need their help in stabilizing what’s happening in Iraq. If we can’t work with those countries, I would support a timetable.

LAFFEY: The plan is this?we told people of the world that we would make Iraq a stable place. By stable, we really mean it’s a place that’s no threat to itself. No threat to the neighboring countries and no threat to the US. That means taking troops in Iraq, Iraqi troops and taking them to Europe to train them and bring them back. We have to train those troops so that we can get them to stand up so eventually we can stand down.

Stephen Laffey: Calls for the resignation of Rumsfeld

LAFFEY: I have called for the resignation of Rumsfeld. We took the worst case scenario to go to war but then we use one of the rosiest cases to win the war. I come from the business world and we have to hold people accountable so my opponent has complained about the war and called Rumsfeld arrogant but wants to keep him around. I think he should leave. I think we should re-energize that.

CHAFEE: Laffey criticized me for not calling for Rumsfeld’s resignation as he has, and by saying that job is not going well in Iraq and Rumsfeld should step down, that maybe that vindicates my vote against the war in Iraq. The only Republican to vote against the war in Iraq. Laffey is very critical of me when I cast that vote as we traveled around the state at joint appearances. Very, very critical of Chafee’s vote against the war. I suppose now you might say that was a good vote.