June 17, 2021

Washington, D.C. | archive.mpac.org | June 17, 2021 | The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) commends the United States House of Representatives for repealing the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).

The 2002 AUMF garnered enough support in Congress and infamously became law because of falsified intelligence. That law gave President George W. Bush the unchecked power to launch the invasion of Iraq, which became the biggest military failure since the Vietnam War.

Since its passage, the AUMF has provided the authority to four administrations, both Democratic and Republican, to use the United States military at their disposal and without the consent or oversight of Congress.

MPAC applauds Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the House of Representatives for passing the repeal, however that is just the first step. We are thrilled that Senate Majority Leader Schumer has vowed to hold a vote on the repeal and urge members of the Senate to begin the process of repealing the law that has directly led to the deaths of at least 182,000 innocent men, women, and children. The actual number of Iraqi civilians killed by direct and indirect war violence authorized by the 2002 AUMF is unknown, and is estimated to be higher in the hundreds of thousands. We are looking forward to working with the Senate to make sure the 2002 AUMF is finally repealed.