“Nine years ago on September 14, 2001, I placed the lone vote against the 'Authorization for Use of Military Force' - an authorization that I knew would provide a blank check to wage war anywhere, at any time, and for any length.” YearsWarUseForceMilitaryYears AgoVoteNineChecksLengthBlankSeptemberLoneNine YearsMilitary ForceBlank Check Author:Barbara Lee
“And after September the 11th, the United States Congress also granted me additional authority to use military force against al Qaeda. . . .” StatesUseForceUnitedUnited StatesMilitaryAuthorityCongressGrantedAlsSeptemberAl QaedaMilitary Force Author:George W. Bush
“In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I watched helplessly as the Bush administration led America into a strategic blunder of historic proportions. It became painfully obvious that the executive branch of our government did not trust its military. It relied instead on a neoconservative ideology developed by men and women with little, if any, military experience. Some senior military leaders did not challenge civilian decision makers at the appropriate times, and the courageous few who did take a stand were subsequently forced out of the service.” IfsMenLittlesGovernmentAmericaChallengesDecisionLeaderMilitaryMen And WomenObviousTerroristIdeologyAdministrationBranchesProportionAppropriateExecutivesCourageousMakersSeptemberSeniorHistoricCiviliansStrategicSeptember 11BlundersAftermathTerrorist AttacksDecision MakersMilitary LeaderExecutive BranchSeptember 11 2001Appropriate TimeMilitary Experience Author:Ricardo Sanchez
“OK, so $1 trillion is what it costs to run the federal government for one year. So this money's going to run through September of 2016. Half of the trillion dollars goes to defense spending and the Pentagon. The other half goes to domestic spending - everything from prisons to parks. So there's also about 74 billion in there that goes to the military operations that we have ongoing in Iraq and Afghanistan and Syria.” YearsGovernmentRunningHalfMilitaryCostDollarsPrisonIraqSpendingDefenseBillionsOperationsParksAfghanistanSeptemberSyriaFederal GovernmentOngoingOther HalfPentagonMilitary OperationsDefense Spending Author:Susan Davis
“Action had to be taken in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, but I am very concerned about the current administration's rhetoric and apparent zeal to expand military action to other places. I'm afraid that terrorism is being used as an excuse, not only for possible military action in such places as Iraq, Iran, and the Philippines, but also for exorbitant increases in defense spending that have nothing to do with terrorism.” ActionTakenMilitaryConcernedResponseExcuseTerrorismTerroristSeptemberRhetoricZealSeptember 11 Author:Oscar Arias