California's two Democratic U.S. senators disagreed on whether to go to war with Iraq in 2003, but now both are calling for U.S. intervention in the country.
California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer was one of only twenty three senators to vote against the war in Iraq under President George W. Bush.
But now, as well trained Islamist fighters take control of northern Iraq, Boxer says the U.S. military must step in and protect U.S. interests. Still, Boxer stops short of saying whether she’d support a bombing campaign in Iraq.
“We have many troops in the area," says Boxer. "We need to do counter terrorism the president knows that. The Iraqis, they’re going to have to take care of themselves. The fact that Maliki sent us out, said we couldn’t stay and the fact that he hasn’t reached out to the Sunnis. That’s his problem.”
California’s senior senator, Dianne Feinstein, supported the Iraq War and now says the U.S. needs to step in again. She’s calling for airstrikes to stop militants from reaching Bagdad. Feinstein, who chairs the Intelligence Committee, is also calling for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to step down, so the country can form a new government.
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