Iraq War

Iraq War Approval Had To Be Secured

In the run-up to the Iraq War approval by the U.S. Congress had to be secured first. It happened, in a lopsided voting on October 11, 2002, a Friday, and with a vote of 77-23, the U.S. Senate gave their official Iraq War approval.

The Congressional resolution at the time authorized President Bush to use the U.S. armed forces to defend U.S. national security against the continuing threat posed by Iraq, and to enforce all UN resolutions. Of the 50 Republican senators then, 48 voted in favor of the resolution; of the 50 Democratic senators, 29 voted in favor while 21 against.

This resounding vote giving Iraq War approval would put pressure on the UN Security Council, since the US already had the legal authority to go to war. The Security Council was to debate the Iraq issue the following Wednesday, October 16. The Saturday after the Senate vote, President Bush said that Congress had spoken clearly to the UN Security Council: "Inaction is not an option, disarmament is a must."

It would not be that easy to get the Security Council's Iraq War approval. Ireland would voice opposition, as did France and Russia, both permanent members of the council. Eventually, the Security Council debates on the issue would paralyze the council and no final vote on whether to give Iraq War approval would be taken.

The US invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003 together with the UK and other coalition partners. With the favorable sentiment from the 9/11 attacks and the invasion of Afghanistan, there was no problem getting Iraq War approval from the public.

Combat operations officially ceased at the beginning of May 2003. Although there was a period of frustration when the weapons of mass destruction that had been the justification for the war could not be located and Saddam Hussein could not be found. But when Hussein was finally captured in December 2003, public opinion rose and a poll taken at the time showed that 62 percent of Americans gave their Iraq War approval and thought it worthwhile.

Things began to sour in 2004 when it became clear that the war had become protracted by an increasing insurgency and that the troops would not come home just yet. Public frustration was increasing and Iraq War approval by the public began to wane. By the middle of 2005, public opinion had reversed.

In a poll taken in mid-June 2005, practically six out of ten (59 percent) Americans said they opposed the Iraq war. Iraq War approval was given by only 39 percent of respondents, which was a significant drop from the 47 percent Iraq War approval rate in March 2005.

This particular poll was validated by another poll in early June 2005. This poll found that 56 percent of respondents felt that going to war in Iraq was not worth it, and only 42 percent believed it was. By this time, even the US senators that had voted so overwhelmingly in giving their Iraq War approval two years before also showed disappointment.

One Democratic senator said that a gigantic gap existed between Washington rhetoric and the reality on the ground; a senior Republican senator believed that Americans should be told that the Iraq war would last at least two more years.

Two years later, in July 2007, Iraq War approval had gone even lower: 62 percent of respondents in a survey said the U.S. had made a mistake by going to war in Iraq. Greater than 7 out of 10 Americans wanted the troops pulled out by April 2008.

Even senior Republican senators had made public calls for President Bush to change course in Iraq. And because of dissatisfaction with the Iraq War approval for President Bush was at its lowest: 29 percent.