House votes to repeal war powers granted for invasion of Iraq

The US House voted to repeal the 2002 resolution that authorized the invasion of Iraq and gave the White House broad war powers following the 9/11 terror attacks more than two decades ago.

The vote passed 268 to 161, with 49 Republicans crossing the aisle to join 219 Democrats to remove the “Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq” (AMUF) first granted during the presidency of George W Bush but since used by his successors as justification for military action in the region. California’s Barbara Lee was the only Democrat to vote against the bill.

The broad-ranging powers of AMUF were used for the US’s campaign against the Islamic State under Barack Obama and more recently by Donald Trump for the drone strike launched from Baghdad International Airport that killed Iranian general Qassim Suleimani in 2020.

The push to wind back broad war powers of the Executive Office of the President comes after Joe Biden used Article 51 of the United Nations Charter under the international right of self-defence as justification to bomb Syria just weeks after taking office in February 2021.

The Biden administration supported the bill in a statement this week, saying it would likely have minimal impact on current military operations as the US has no ongoing activities that rely solely on the 2002 AMUF.

The 2001 AMUF passed a year earlier to authorize the invasion of Afghanistan remains in place as a justification for military action against terrorist organizations across the globe.

The bill will now move to the Senate, where majority leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday he would put a similar bill already drafted by Tim Kain on the Chamber floor this year. It would be considered next week by the Foreign Relations Committee.

This is a developing story.