On Sept. 14, 2001, Congresswoman Barbara Lee took a stand. In the hectic, fear-filled days after the 9/11 attacks on the United States, she was the only member of the House of Representatives to vote against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Terrorists. Lee, now serving her sixth term, has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Iraq War, which she also voted against. On the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, Rep. Lee spoke with The Root about her war votes, the military options going forward in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the value of political courage in working with the first black president of the United States.

The Root: As one of a handful in Congress to have voted against the Iraq War and oppose it from the start, what significance does the 6th anniversary of the invasion have for you?

Barbara Lee: I voted against the war because the authorization for use of force was an unprecedented step that then began the global war on terror. It laid the groundwork, and the later Iraq resolution was a bad resolution that we couldn’t afford. That resolution also gave a blank check to any president to use force against any country he or she deemed connected to 9/11 or harbored anyone connected to 9/11. It was a blank check, and it should have never passed—and here we are now in the 6th year of the Iraq War, and I think its time to end it. It’s time to bring our young men and women home and our military contractors, and it’s time to be committed to their economic security and their mental health care.

TR: The president said as a candidate that he wasn’t opposed to all wars, but to “dumb wars.” What other choices was the U.S. facing at the time?

BL: I had a resolution that laid out what we should do. The options were to let the UN continue its inspections process and determine whether or not there were weapons of mass destruction. Unfortunately, then-Secretary of State [Colin] Powell went to the United Nations and misled the whole world. We know that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. To use that lie—which is what it was—to begin a preemptive strike that has killed over 4,000 of our young men and women is unconscionable, and I think that the Bush administration should be held accountable for this.

TR: What does it mean for blacks and other minorities to serve? What does it mean for brown people of all kinds to have so many of its young men and women in Iraq?

BL: The numbers—we don’t have the specific data yet—the number of African Americans [in the war] has declined from 23 percent in 2000 to 13 percent in 2006. Again, I think that demonstrates the unpopular nature of this war in the African-American community. I’m not sure though, what the numbers are as it relates to Iraq. During tough economic times, there are many seeking to join the military as a pathway out of poverty and to provide for their families. Look, my dad was a military officer 25 years—so I think the more important issue is: What is the role of the military? Every country should have a strong military, but are we peacemakers? Are we peacekeepers? Are we making sure that real national security threats are addressed in a real way, or are we playing around?

I think the issue is how do we achieve global peace and security in our country. And it’s not [by] sending our young men and women off to war. We all understand the role of the military, but what that role and mission is has yet to be determined.