Ehlers Responds to Antiwar Protests with Commitment to Maintain the Occupation of Iraq

In response to an antiwar protest outside of his home, Grand Rapids area United States Congressional Representative Vern Ehlers expressed support for a continued occupation of Iraq. Rather than agreeing to the pledge that the protest sought to have him sign–a pledge that would have supported an immediate end to the occupation by agreeing not to vote in favor of funding the war–Representative Ehlers said that it would be “stupid” to “pull out” of Iraq in an interview on WXMI Fox 17 on March 18. In the story, Ehlers says that, “we [the United States] can’t just abandon the Iraqis after we totally mess up their lives and their world” and asserts that the United States has a “moral obligation to straighten the mess out before we leave.” It is interesting that Ehlers admits that the war devastated Iraq, yet his comments are similar to those that he has made elsewhere. In the Grand Rapids Press on March 18, Ehlers says that the United States should have been “more cautious” in entering Iraq. However, while Ehlers has made attempts to describe his initial support for the war as a “mistake” he has made no effort to correct his “mistake” and has consistently voted to fund the war and has opposed efforts to limit the war. In practical terms, Ehlers voting record shows strong support for the continued occupation of Iraq, regardless of the human costs of the war (655,000+ Iraqis killed and more than 3,220+ US soldiers killed) or its financial costs (more than $410 billion).