WASHINGTON, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley issued the following statement on the end of the Iraq War:
“This day, the day marking the end of combat troops in Iraq, has been far too long in coming. This misguided war should never have been fought, but today we can all celebrate that all our troops are coming home and that, after more than eight years, billions of dollars spent and thousands of lives lost, military operations have come to an end.
“I have the deepest admiration for and gratitude to the brave men and women in uniform who did all we asked of them and more. We owe all of them our thanks. Many have lost their lives, many have returned home with profound injuries, and thousands of families have been forever impacted. We must reaffirm our commitment to standing up for them, as they stood up for us. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all.
“We must learn from our experience in Iraq. The next step should be to accelerate our transition out of Afghanistan. It is time to bring these chapters to a close and bring our troops home.”
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