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

Strength Through Peace has prepared the following list of seven questions for candidates running to represent Colorado’s Fourth Congressional District and for Colorado’s open U.S. Senate seat.  To view candidate responses received to date, click on the buttons for each candidate shown at the bottom of this page.

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

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

3.     Do you support or oppose the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases in Afghanistan or Iraq? Please explain your answer.

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

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.

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?

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?

Response by Betsy Markey                                       Response by Marilyn Musgrave

Response by Bob Kinsey          Response by Mark Udall          Response by Bob Schaffer