Questions for Congressional Candidates Concerning Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and the “War on Terror”:

Response by Bob Kinsey,

Candidate for Colorado’s Open U.S. Senate Seat

1.       What actions (if any) do you support taking to withdraw U.S. troops and military contractors from Afghanistan?

Agreements must be made with NATO for a plan of disengagement.  Immediate negotiations should be made to adjust our operations to function like the Blue Helmets under those rules of engagement.  I believe we might have time to ratify the International Criminal Court and to position our military as a paart of a UN deputized police force to apprehend any persons accused of acts of terror and bring them before it.  That is what should have been done in the first place.

2.       What actions (if any) do you support taking to withdraw U.S. troops and military contractors from Iraq?

We must immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq and cease to ever employ mercenaries as part of any operations anytime anywhere.  Our presence is counterproductive.  That said, we must be committed to all international efforts to halt all arms trade to all parties in the Middle East.  Or anywhere else for that matter.

3.       Do you support or oppose the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases

in Afghanistan or Iraq? Please explain your answer.

I oppose permanent US military bases anywhere in the world.  Any military operations in other countries must be carried out within a United Nations framework.

4.       Under what circumstances (if any) would you support a military attack against Iran? Please explain your answer.

None.  Iran has the right under the non-proliferation treaty to build and use nuclear power.  That is not a wise choice on the part of any country for other reasons but under Article IV of the treaty any signatory has the right.  And I believe that the current administration is not above attempting to create a Tonkin Bay incident to justify such an attack.  False flag operations have wrongly been a part of our covert activity since the outset of the Mexican War.  This is a stain on our nation.

5.       In September of 2002 and again in March of 2006, the Bush Administration asserted that the United States has a right to "act preemptively in exercising our inherent right of self-defense."  Do you agree or disagree with this doctrine of "pre-emptive war"?  Please explain your answer.

Pre-emptive war is contrary to the UN charter and was in fact the excuse used by Hitler to invade Poland.   In the past the US defined self defense as defending assets in other countries, both private and public. It is built into the U.S. Space Command mission statement as well.  But it is a bad definition, illegal and unwise. 

6.       In December of 2005, the New York Times revealed that the Bush Administration had authorized the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens and residents without obtaining search warrants, as then required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.  Do you think it is permissible to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens and residents without obtaining individual search warrants? Why or why not?

The original FISA Act was the best we could come up with to prevent the abuses of the Vietnam era and is not a block to quick effective action.  The Bush Administration is impeachable for its actions here as in many other behaviors. It was not the tools that were lacking to prevent 9/11 but the incompetence and dereliction to duty they exhibited for which they should have been immediately impeached.  And still should. 

7.       In September of 2006, Congress approved the Military Commissions Act, which was signed into law by President Bush the following month.  The Military Commissions Act denies habeas corpus to foreigners picked up by U.S. forces in the "war on terror".  It also allows the President to define what acts do and do not constitute torture.  Do you support repealing or revising the Military Commissions Act? Why or why not?

“ War on Terror” is an unconstitutional construct and the acceptance of it by Congress is the greatest of treasons.  Members of Congress who approved this law should have been impeached or at least replaced-- which is one of the reasons I am running for Senate.  It is a piece of a blueprint for full blown fascism in the US.  We have always been able to deport foreigners for good reasons and needed no further law with that regard.  Anyone who is known to be planning acts of terror should be arrested and tried within our due process system.  If keeping to the law and our civil liberties will not keep us safe, nothing will.  It will just destroy us.