WASHINGTON: The US Congress has overwhelmingly rejected a resolution demanding the withdrawal of US troops from Pakistan.
The measure, moved in the House of Representatives, was sponsored by two anti-war Republican congressmen — Dennis Kucinich (Ohio) and Ron Paul (Texas) — and was in reaction to reports that the US was running a secret war in Pakistan.
The lawmakers argued that any war effort not approved by Congress violated the War Powers Act. It was voted down 38-372. Thirty-two Democrats and six Republicans voted for the measure. Four congressmen voted “present”, three Democrats and one Republican.
The vote took place days after newspapers published leaked documents suggesting that Pakistani intelligence had cooperated with extremist groups while simultaneously accepting US aid to fight terror.
Congressmen Kucinich and Paul, however, used their floor time to criticise the war in Afghanistan.
“It is important to debate our presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan now as the website Wikileaks yesterday released more than 90,000 classified reports on the war in Afghanistan,” Mr Kucinich said. “These documents provide a fuller picture of what we have long known about Afghanistan: The war is going badly.”
The congressman noted that the US had already been in Afghanistan for nine years on, and was still uncovering evidence that its presence in Afghanistan was counter-productive.
“Now we want to further expand drone attacks and the presence of US Special Forces in Pakistan? Congress must act to nip in the bud any attempt to expand the war across the border into Pakistan,” he argued.
Mr Kucinich introduced a similar resolution earlier this year calling for immediate withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. It too was rejected overwhelmingly.