Rep. Walter Jones, one of the most consistently antiwar members of Congress, has died at age 75 after an extended illness.
The Republican lawmaker had battled a series of ailments in recent years and was granted a leave of absence from Congress late last year after missing a number of House votes.
Jones was originally a strong supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In fact, Jones became well known for leading the effort to have french fries renamed “freedom fries” in House cafeteria menus as a protest against French opposition to the invasion.
By 2005, Jones had reversed his position on the Iraq War. Jones called on President George W. Bush to apologize for misinforming Congress to win authorization for the war. Jones said, “If I had known then what I know today, I wouldn’t have voted for that resolution.”
Jones went on to become one of the most antiwar members of Congress, fighting for ending US involvement in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and Yemen.
Jones also became a regular donor to Antiwar.com and contributed to the Antiwar.com blog. Jones often made surprise phone calls to me and to news editor Jason Ditz to praise our work and to thank us for helping him to “see the light” on issues of national security.
We at Antiwar.com mourn his passing and extend our condolences to his family and friends.
