A US Senate committee on Wednesday backed legislation to rescind two authorizations for previous wars in Iraq, clearing the way for a possible vote by the full Senate before the 20th anniversary of the last US military invasion.

American soldiers train soldiers of the Iraqi National ArmyPhoto: Jacob Simkin/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Editorial/Profimedia

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted Aug. 13 to approve a bill to rescind the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the use of military force (AUMF) against Iraq, the latest attempt to reaffirm Congress’ role in the decision to send troops into combat.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate could vote on the full bill within the next few weeks. It will be timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the March 19, 2003, invasion of Iraq.

Sen. Tim Kaine, a leader of efforts to repeal the old AUMFs, said the authorizations don’t make sense.

“Iraq was the enemy in 2002,” he told Reuters in a telephone interview. “They increasingly become a partner in the field of security. We are working with Iraq to defeat ISIS and continue to protect against terrorist activity.”

Lawmakers have argued for years that Congress has given the president too much authority to send troops into battle without revoking the war authorizations that presidents have used for years to justify military action around the world.

For example, then-Republican President Donald Trump said the 2002 AUMF provided legal authority for the 2020 assassination in Iraq of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani.

According to the Constitution, Congress, not the president, has the power to declare war.

The chances of this measure becoming law are unknown. Despite support from members of both parties in both the Senate and the House, there is also significant opposition.

Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called for a replacement bill written in consultation with military commanders to repeal the existing AUMF.

US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Qadimi in July reached an agreement on the official end of the US combat mission in Iraq by the end of 2021.

As of 2020, the US kept about 2,500 troops in Iraq.

Western officials say most of these forces have acted only in training and advisory roles.

The combat mission of the United States was focused on destroying the remnants of the terrorist organization “Islamic State”. The mission began in 2014 as part of an international effort to defeat the extremist group, which has seized large swaths of Syria and Iraq.

The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 on the grounds that the country, led by Saddam Hussein’s regime, was developing weapons of mass destruction.

Key points of the mission in Iraq:

  • March 2003 – Operation Iraqi Freedom begins a surprise assault on Baghdad, which falls within a month.
  • May 2003 – President George W. Bush declares “mission accomplished”
  • December 2003 – Saddam Hussein is trapped in a bunker
  • April 2004 – More photos show prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison
  • 2005 – Suicide bombings in Iraq peak as the insurgent movement grows
  • January 2007 – A “wave” of American soldiers begins, leading to a decrease in violence until 2008.
  • August 2010 – The last combat units leave Iraq