Jon Larson discusses U.S. involvement in the Iraq war.

Kentuckians for The Commonwealth Candidate asked Jon Larson the following question:

          Many thousands of Kentucky soldiers have served or are presently serving in Iraq and at least 62 Kentuckians have died in the Iraq war. Many Kentuckians believe that the reasons for going to war with Iraq were just, but many others believe they were wrong. Our communities are also divided as to whether we should withdraw our troops from Iraq as quickly as possible or whether we should stay as long as is needed to get the job done. What is your position on this issue?

Answer:

            Paraphrasing John McCain:   The date we set for withdrawal without victory is the day our enemies will announce their success, gain assets, and begin to set their plans for getting back at the United States. I probably would not have encouraged the invasion of Iraq, since I believe that as military governors we Americans are not cruel enough to have much impact on the relatives of the terrorists who oppose us ( I am a Vietnam era veteran, trained in combat arms and military "civil affairs"), but we are now in a critical situation. I realize that we have invested American lives and super abundant commitments of our military around the globe, but please take a look at one location in our history. I served in South Korea 40 years ago, our military has been there 60 years, and today there is a vibrant national economy ( with a Christian majority).

           National defense and protection of the American homeland must be the top priority of government. Yes, I’d like to get out of Iraq as soon as possible with the losses of fewer American military lives and casualties, but the truth is that precipitous withdrawal may have more serious consequences.

Vote for me, Jon Larson, for Congress. Remember, a vote for Jon Larson is a vote for Kentucky.

Comments

[Jane Baer]

Excellent platform, I agree. We haven't had another attack killing thousands of civilians on our homeland. Our politicised withdrawl from Vietnam hurt many of our allies, that was clearly poorly planned. Jon Larson's experience as an Army Captain in a combat zone in the Vietnam era helps him evaluate our present combat problems with intelligence, and his natural empathy and leadership qualities help him evaluate those problems with balance.