MoveOn.Org, a leading progressive organization, praised President Barack Obama’s plans to withdraw all troops from Iraq by year’s end, but emphasized that the U.S. should never have invaded the country in the first place.
“Today’s announcement marks the end of a war that should never have happened,” Justin Ruben, MoveOn.org’s Executive Director, said in a statement. “We are grateful that our brave soldiers will finally be coming home from Iraq, but we must never forget the thousands of American servicemen and women, and the many more Iraqi civilians who perished.”
Ruben added that the U.S. should now focus on removing combat troops from Afghanistan, noting that it’s time to “bring America’s sons and daughters home, and redirect our limited resources to rebuilding communities at home.”