The war in Iraq has been a strategic blunder from the beginning—one of the worst foreign policy mistakes in American history. Based on the false belief that the Iraqi government had large stocks of weapons of mass destruction and that regime change in Iraq would lead to more stability in the Middle East, the United States invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein.

Pursuing regime change in 2003 was disastrous. The war and U.S. occupation unleashed sectarian violence and Islamic radicalism, strengthened neighboring Iran, and cost the United States thousands of lives and trillions of dollars.

Even after destroying ISIS’s territorial caliphate, the U.S. has left troops in Iraq, repeating the same mistake as in Afghanistan – keeping boots on the ground that don’t need to be there.

Deploying troops to Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East to fight regional wars is not necessary to keep America safe. However, such deployments actually embolden our enemies and offer much easier opportunities to harm American service members.

Our troops in Iraq have no clearly achievable objectives, yet they are continually put in harm’s way. For those deployed:

• U.S. presence allows rivals like Iran to cheaply target servicemembers through proxy militias.
• U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces have cooperated with and in some cases even equipped Iranian-backed militias known for attacking U.S. service members.
• The recent clashes between Iranian militias and U.S. forces show there are clear dangers to our troops and potential for escalation.

We are continuing to put our troops’ lives on the line for efforts that are not necessary to keep us safe.

Americans here at home continue to suffer and sacrifice thanks to our prolonged entanglement in Iraq:

• More than 4,500 servicemembers have been killed in Iraq, leaving families and communities with immense grief.
• More than 32,000 veterans have been wounded in Iraq, and many more struggle with the invisible scars of war.
• American taxpayers have spent more than $2 trillion for the Iraq War. Combined with efforts around the Greater Middle East, more than $6.4 trillion has gone to support our “forever wars”.

That cost is not worth it.

The interests we do have in the Middle East – preventing disruptions to global energy supplies and combating terrorists with intent and capability to harm America – can be dealt a large-scale, permanent military presence.

• Instead of risking deeper involvement in missions that no longer serve U.S. interests, it is high time for Congress and the President to take a new approach to foreign policy.
• Congress must reassert its role in authorizing and overseeing military action. Rebalancing constitutional war powers will put the responsibility of decisions about war and peace back on Congress, whose job it is to make those tough calls as the representatives of the people who will bear their costs.
• Outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force, including the one that sent troops into Iraq initially, should be repealed. No president should have a blank check to send troops overseas without Congress’ permission.
• Future AUMFs must be specific about goals and missions and must include sunset dates to ensure Congress continues to vote on and oversee military efforts.
• The President should bring our troops home from Iraq, putting an end to 18 years of a misguided war. We can counter credible threats to America if they arise but don’t need to maintain a troop presence to do so.

We can best honor the sacrifices of Iraq War veterans and those who lost their lives by making realistic and prudent choices about the U.S. role in the Middle East.