Maine Senate- Wars

8/14/2019 Maine Senate- Wars

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THE WARS IN

IRAQ AND

AFGHANISTAN

AND THE

WAR ON TERROR



THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN AND THE WAR ON TERROR

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Laurie Dobson’s Responses………………………………...……….3

Herb Hoffman’s Responses……………………………………….…4

Tom Ledue’s Responses………………………………………….….5




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1. What do you perceive to be the root causes of terrorism? Poverty,

oppression and the suppression of the power of creative ideas. 2. Do you support the war in Afghanistan? No. We are actively

encouraging the poppy/heroin trade by depressing and oppressing

that nation, contributing to radical ideologies which people turn to

when they have reduced hope of advancement. Deterrence and

the support for alternative programs should be put in place against

violent supremacist regimes. As we are the worst of nations asshowing a model for this behavior, it behooves and requires us, not

only to end this war, but to show a means for sustaining the peace,

as FDR said, “by creating the conditions for peace and peaceful

enterprise.”

3. Would you vote to continue to fund the war in Iraq? No. I believe

that using the 'power of the purse' is fundamental to stopping war.

People elect the Congress; if those who are elected do not show

that they will exercise their responsibility to vote to cut off funding,

they have become corrupted, in my view, and must be replaced.This is what I believe has happened to the two party incumbent

candidates, Allen and Collins, and is the main reason I am running

for Congress: to remove them due to their failure to act to defend

the people who want to end the war.

4. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote legislation

that would allow for the complete and withdrawal of all U.S. troops,

U.S. military bases and military contractors hired by the U.S.

government from Iraq? Yes. My war exit strategy is simple: get out

now! Our military is smart, and capable of following our direction.




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1. What do you perceive to be the root causes of terrorism? A sense of

impotence in the face of authority or power is a root cause.

Terrorism is a tool that is used, usually, by those who have little in the

way of resources and are unable to influence the actions of

powerful decision makers. An example of this situation was the

presence of western military bases in Saudi Arabia, a holy land to

the Arabs. It was only after 9/11 that the U.S. military relocated out

of Saudi Arabia. An exception to this formulation is the "shock and

awe" attack on Baghdad – clearly designed to terrorize thepopulation into submission – which was perpetrated by an

overwhelming military force. Terrorism is a political tool that is used

when diplomacy fails – with some exceptions to this rule. 2. Do you support the war in Afghanistan? No. I consider this

occupation of a sovereign nation to be both illegal and immoral.

3. Would you vote to continue to fund the war in Iraq? NO!

4. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote legislationthat would allow for the complete and withdrawal of all U.S. troops,


government from Iraq? Yes!




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1. What do you perceive to be the root causes of terrorism?

Machiavelli said that the most dangerous enemy was one that

hates and, in hating, he (or she) loses self-interest. He said that there

was no adequate defense against those with no self-interest.

Certainly, we see this borne out centuries later with the suicide

bombers of today. We must ask “Why?” We must seek to understand and then undo

the causes that we have any influence over. These include:-The despair of extreme poverty.

-Injustice

-Oppression

-The lack of basic human rights

-Exclusion from the political process or economic opportunity

-Extremism

The more that we can base all of our decisions on the inalienable

rights of all people, the more capable we will be in defeating the

root causes of terrorism. 2. Do you support the war in Afghanistan? No. What is our mission?

What is our exit strategy? What is the role of the UN and the

international community? It appears as though we have been

drawn into a tribal war that has no end.

3. Would you vote to continue to fund the war in Iraq? No. I would

support funding for the war only if it included a plan to transition our

troops out of the country as quickly as possible while safeguarding

the Iraqi people in that transition.




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4. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote legislation

that would allow for the complete and withdrawal of all U.S. troops,


government from Iraq? Yes. I would do so ONLY IF an adequate

transition plan that would protect the Iraqi people were developed.

We have a moral obligation to work with the Iraqi government and

the international community to secure a transition that would

protect the Iraqi people as much as possible.

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