Senator Robert Byrd -vs- Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Question Asked. And Answered?
The Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq of October 2, 2002 reads,














Today, in the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, the following exchange occurred.

Senator Robert Byrd:

Since the government of Iraq that is referred to in the resolution no longer exists, having been replaced by a democratically elected one, do you agree that this authorization no longer applies to the ongoing conflict in Iraq?

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates:

I think the honest answer, Senator Byrd, is that I don’t know the answer to that question.

Senator Byrd:

That’s really honest. Therefore, if you don’t know the answer, how does it apply if you don’t know the answer?

If You had Googled according to the title of this thread an hour ago, as I did, you would have found this exchange only in the Army Times. That tells me the troops are not disinterested in the answer to this question.