Washington – Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson on Wednesday called for the U.S. to end the war in Iraq, arguing that the troops exacerbate the sectarian violence and the billions spent could be used for health care and other needs.
“We’re a nation that spends $5.5 billion in cancer research – that’s two weeks of the Iraq war,” Richardson said in an Associated Press interview. “It shows the misguided priorities.”
“We are being bled dry by an invasion that is costing us $500 billion so far – $500 billion,” he said. “And it’s detracting from American security objectives in dealing with terrorism, with nuclear proliferation, with energy independence.”
The New Mexico governor argued that all combat and noncombat troops should be removed from Iraq because their presence is contributing to violence instead of bringing security. He criticized Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards – his leading rivals for the presidential nomination – for plans to pull out combat troops from Iraq but leave residual forces behind. He said he would keep the Marines that guard the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad but would withdraw all other military personnel.
“Who is going to take care of noncombat troops? The Iraqis?” Richardson asked.
Iraq was the primary topic of Richardson’s interview, but he discussed several other issues as well. Among them:
“I’m going to win this nomination,” he said. “You watch.”
