State of Texas Archives: on War & Peace

MJ Hegar: Reserve deployment of American troops as a last resort

Sema Hernandez: Overdue for plan to end the wars & bring troops home

John Cornyn: Get US away from ethnic cleansing of Kurds by Turks

Ted Cruz: Turkey's incursion into Syria is totally unacceptable

Greg Abbott: Help veterans get benefits they've earned

Beto O`Rourke: Nuclear treaty was best path to prevent Iranian nukes

Ted Cruz (R): Yes. Applauded withdrawal, saying agreement didn't sufficiently rein in Iran's nuclear program.

Beto O'Rourke (D): No. Agreement, while imperfect, was "best path to keep Iran from having nuclear weapons."

Ted Cruz: Nuke treaty didn't sufficiently rein in Iran's nuke program

Ted Cruz (R): Yes. Applauded withdrawal, saying agreement didn't sufficiently rein in Iran's nuclear program.

Beto O'Rourke (D): No. Agreement, while imperfect, was "best path to keep Iran from having nuclear weapons."

Ted Cruz: SWIFT: commit to maintain ongoing sanctions against Iran

The senators said such action will drain the Iranian regime's resources and signal America's commitment to maintaining ongoing sanctions. The lawmakers wrote in an Aug. 22 letter to the Treasury Secretary, "We understand that Iran's leaders are working with American adversaries, and reportedly even with some allies, to circumvent these sanctions."

Fifteen senators joined in signing the letter, which was led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Specifically, the lawmakers requested any necessary steps to guarantee the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), an international banking messaging system that connects financial institutions around the world, disconnects the Central Bank of Iran and all other designated Iranian financial institutions.

Beto O`Rourke: We need to think before acting in Mideast

Donald Trump: We would be better off if Gadhafi were in charge right now

TRUMP: I was in favor of Libya? I never discussed that subject. We would be so much better off if Gadhafi were in charge right now. If these politicians went to the beach and didn't do a thing, and we had Saddam Hussein and if we had Gadhafi in charge, instead of having terrorism all over the place, at least they killed terrorists, all right? And I'm not saying they were good--because they were bad, they were really bad--but we don't know what we're getting. You look at Libya right now, ISIS, as we speak, is taking over their oil. As we speak, it's a total mess. We would have been better off if the politicians took a day off instead of going into war.

Donald Trump: Cease-fire in Syria only if all parties involved

CRUZ: We're hopeful that the violence will cease, but there's reason to be highly skeptical. Russia has enhanced its position because of Obama's weakness in the Middle East, weakness in Syria.

TRUMP: I don't because it not working and the countries aren't agreeing to it and the rebels aren't agreeing and Syria is not agreeing. It's a meaningless ceasefire. I would love it, but all parties have to be part of it.

John Kasich: Arm the Ukrainians and fight ISIS in Syria, Libya

Ted Cruz: Russia too strong for Syria cease-fire to hold

TRUMP: I don't because it not working and the countries aren't agreeing to it and the rebels aren't agreeing and Syria is not agreeing. It's a meaningless ceasefire. I would love it, but all parties have to be part of it.

CRUZ: We're hopeful that the violence will cease, but there's reason to be highly skeptical. Russia has enhanced its position because of Obama's weakness in the Middle East, weakness in Syria.

Emily Sanchez: Supports staying out of Iran

A: Support.

David Alameel: time for us to bring the troops & funding home

• Create good paying jobs that can't be shipped overseas
• Ensure a quality education for all Texas children, not just the privileged
• Protect Social Security and Medicare.

John Cornyn: No ransom to North Korea on nukes; we've tried that before

Sen. DURBIN (D-IL): The last thing we want is the launch of any kind of nuclear missile or nuclear weapon on the Korean peninsula. We've got to deescalate the rhetoric and the testing that's going on in North Korea and we're turning primarily to China, to tell the North Koreans if they want to continue this kind of escalation of rhetoric, it's at the expense of the safety of this world, as well as their own economy.

Q: Sen. Cornyn, a year ago, you accused Obama of a policy of appeasement towards North Korea.

CORNYN: Well, I'm not for paying an unhinged leader like Kim Jong Un ransom in order to have him toned down his rhetoric. None of us wants [nuclear conflict]. But I don't see that this policy of paying ransom just to get him to tone down rhetoric has been successful. It's just sort of like a bad movie. We keep seeing the reruns.

David Dewhurst: More combat troops were needed in Iraq, and for longer

Ted Cruz: Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan went on too long

Jon Roland: One more year of the surge, then withdraw

A: No.

Q: Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?

A: Yes. One more year of the surge, then withdraw.

Rick Noriega: Safely remove 2 brigades per month from Iraq, for 10 months

A: We all agree that the war must end. Currently the fastest way to make that occur is to elect 60 Senators who believe the same. Unfortunately, such an action on the ground is not physically possible or militarily feasible. With twenty combat brigades in theatre, only two brigades per month can be removed or safely repositioned. The current operational tempo has stretched forces too thin.

Barack Obama: $2.7 billion each week of Iraq spending is unsustainable

A: It is indisputable that we’ve seen violence reduced in Iraq. That’s a credit to our brave men and women in uniform. The 1st Cavalry of Fort Hood played an enormous role in pushing back al Qaeda out of Baghdad. We honor their service. But this is a tactical victory imposed upon a huge strategic blunder. When we’re having a debate with McCain, it is going to be much easier for the candidate who was opposed to the concept of invading Iraq in the first place to have a debate about the wisdom of that decision than having to argue about the tactics subsequent to the decision. Not only have we been diverted from Afghanistan, we’ve been diverted from Latin America. We contribute our entire foreign aid to Latin America is $2.7 billion, approximately what we spend in Iraq in a week. It is any surprise, then, that you’ve seen people like Hugo Chavez and countries like China move into the void, because we’ve been neglectful of that.

Hillary Clinton: Up to the Iraqis to decide the future they will have

Hillary Clinton: The purpose of the surge has not been fulfilled

A: The rationale of the surge was to create the space and time for the Iraqi government to make the decisions that only it can make. There is no doubt, given the skill and the commitment of our young men and women in uniform that putting more of them in will give us a tactical advantage and will provide security in some places, and that has occurred. But the fact is that the purpose of it has not been fulfilled. The Iraqi government has slowly inched toward making a few of the decisions in a less than complete way, but it hasn’t taken advantage of the sacrifice and the losses of life and billions of dollars that have occurred since the surge began. That is why I have said, upon taking office I would ask the secretary of defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and my security advisers to give me a plan so that I could begin withdrawing our troops within 60 days.

Barbara Radnofsky: US presence destabilizes Iraq; leaving causes stability

RADNOFSKY: We are destabilizing Iraq by our presence. The NIE indicates as such, and British generals indicate as such. By withdrawing, we will allow international building, by the US taking its role as leader among nations. My opponent has said we must increase troops, and also that we cannot leave until we’ve stabilized the country. Our presence is destabilizing there. Therefore when we leave, we will be able to mount, if we take our lead among the nations, a better international effort. We must realize that we can’t go it alone. It is reprehensible to suggest that we ought to stay in Iraq so that our soldiers become targets--cannon fodder--so we don’t take the war on terror to all the trouble spot in the world. We must set a timetable and we must withdraw.

HUTCHISON: I can’t think of anything worse than America cutting-and-running because times are tough. I think it would hurt our troops.

Barbara Radnofsky: Partition of Iraq will increase terrorism

HUTCHISON: It is clear it is not going well in Iraq, and we should come up with ideas. One of the things we should put on the table as an option is semi-autonomous regions. This is provided for in the constitution of Iraq, and the parliament of Iraq has set out a process. The Sunnis reject that idea, because they’re worried about not having the oil revenue, but that can be handled as well.

JAMESON: I am upset for the way the Iraq war is funded. It is inappropriate to fund a war on a constant emergency basis, because Congressmen can add in extra appropriations and pork barrel spending that they know will get passed.

Barbara Radnofsky: Secret CIA papers at time of war vote skeptical of WMD info

HUTCHISON: If I had known then what I know now about the WMDs--which was a key reason that I voted to go in there-- I would not vote to go into Iraq the way we did. But the President would not have asked for that vote, either. We had intelligence that we relied on. So did the British. Everyone thought they had WMDs.

RADNOFSKY: At the time of the Iraqi War Resolution, Sen. Graham of Florida begged his colleagues to read the secret papers that we weren’t privy to. We now know that those secret papers revealed that the WMD documentation from the CIA was quite skeptical. I don’t believe that our senators read the secret documents. Our senators made a mistake when they voted. They should have read the secret papers. Any senator who did not do as their colleagues begged was derelict in their abilities to lead. We need new leaders.

Kay Bailey Hutchison: Need ideas like option for semi-autonomous regions

HUTCHISON: It is clear it is not going well in Iraq, and we should come up with ideas. One of the things we should put on the table as an option is semi-autonomous regions. This is provided for in the constitution of Iraq, and the parliament of Iraq has set out a process. The Sunnis reject that idea, because they’re worried about not having the oil revenue, but that can be handled as well.

JAMESON: I am upset for the way the Iraq war is funded. It is inappropriate to fund a war on a constant emergency basis, because Congressmen can add in extra appropriations and pork barrel spending that they know will get passed.

Kay Bailey Hutchison: I can’t think of anything worse than cut-and-run

RADNOFSKY: We are destabilizing Iraq by our presence. The NIE indicates as such, and British generals indicate as such. By withdrawing, we will allow international building, by the US taking its role as leader among nations. My opponent has said we must increase troops, and also that we cannot leave until we’ve stabilized the country.

JAMESON: We need to take a measured approach to Iraq. I do not support an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. As far as I can tell, we still do have a role there.

HUTCHISON: I can’t think of anything worse than America cutting-and-running because times are tough. I think it would hurt our troops. We need to support them, and make sure they have the cover they need. We must never cut-and-run. That would shred the credibility of America. The NIE says we are destabilizing the al-Qaeda leadership. The worst thing we could do is appear to leave and give terrorists a victory.

Kay Bailey Hutchison: Would have voted against war if current WMD info were known

HUTCHISON: If I had known then what I know now about the WMDs--which was a key reason that I voted to go in there--I would not vote to go into Iraq the way we did. But the President would not have asked for that vote, either. We had intelligence that we relied on. So did the British. Everyone thought they had WMDs. The President was trying to make sure that America was not hit with another 9/11 with a Weapon of Mass Destruction. He believed that Iraq had the weapons and had the capacity to deliver them. I certainly would not have voted that way had we known there were no such weapons.

RADNOFSKY: At the time of the Iraqi War Resolution, Sen. Graham begged his colleagues to read secret papers. We now know that those secret papers revealed that the WMD documentation from the CIA was quite skeptical. I don’t believe that our senators read the secret documents.

Scott Jameson: No immediate withdrawal from Iraq

RADNOFSKY: We are destabilizing Iraq by our presence. The NIE indicates as such, and British generals indicate as such. By withdrawing, we will allow international immediate withdrawal from Iraq. As far as I can tell, we still do have a role there.

HUTCHISON: I can’t think of anything worse than America cutting-and-running because times are tough. I think it would hurt our troops. We need to support them, and make sure they have the cover they need. We must never cut-and-run. That would shred the credibility of America. The NIE says we are destabilizing the al-Qaeda leadership. The worst thing we could do is appear to leave and give terrorists a victory.

Scott Jameson: Iraq war should not be funded as an emergency

HUTCHISON: It is clear it is not going well in Iraq, and we should come up with ideas. One of the things we should put on the table as an option is semi-autonomous regions. This is provided for in the constitution of Iraq, and the parliament of Iraq has set out a process. The Sunnis reject that idea, because they’re worried about not having the oil revenue, but that can be handled as well.

JAMESON: I am upset for the way the Iraq war is funded. It is inappropriate to fund a war on a constant emergency basis, because Congressmen can add in extra appropriations and pork barrel spending that they know will get passed.