Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), founder of the former Congressional Out of Iraq Caucus, issued the following statement in response to the ongoing situation in Iraq:
"I am deeply concerned about the situation in Iraq, and my heart goes out to the Iraqi civilians who have been injured or killed and the displaced families who have been forced to flee their homes. Despite our humanitarian concerns, the United States cannot solve all international crises, and the future of Iraq should be in the hands of its people. I voted against the Iraq war authorization in the first place in 2002, and formed the Out of Iraq Caucus to bring to the House of Representatives an ongoing debate about the war in Iraq and urge the return of U.S. service members to their families.
"We were at war in Iraq for eight years and nearly 4,500 of our men and women in uniform lost their lives. Tens of thousands more came back wounded or injured, and their lives were changed forever. The cost of the war is estimated at $815 billion, of which $20 billion alone was invested to train Iraqi security forces to defend themselves and their country.
"The American people are war-weary and not interested in another prolonged military effort in Iraq. I will continue to closely monitor the situation, but every conceivable effort must be made in working with the international community to negotiate peace, not a return to war."