A Conversation on Iraq with Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-Del.)

On February 15, the Brookings Institution hosted Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for a conversation on Iraq. Delaware’s longest-serving senator, Biden was first elected in 1972, at age 29, and is recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on foreign relations and terrorism. For three decades, Senator Biden has served on the Foreign Relations Committee, playing a pivotal role in shaping U.S. foreign policy, especially on Iraq.

Senator Biden has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Bush Administration’s handling of the Iraq war. In his remarks, Senator Biden argued that while leaving Iraq is a necessity, it is not a plan and he presented his detailed plan for protecting U.S. interests in Iraq. Carlos Pascual, vice president and director of Foreign Policy Studies, provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion.