Senior U.S. diplomat Sherman backs repeal of 2002 Iraq war authorization

FILE PHOTO: Wendy Sherman arrives for a meeting on Syria at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva February 13, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration backs the repeal of the 2002 congressional authorization for the war in Iraq, saying it is not needed to protect U.S. interests in the foreseeable future, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said on Tuesday.

"For the State Department, repealing the 2002 AUMF (Authorization for the Use of Military Force) would not affect our diplomatic initiatives. And the administration has made clear that we have no ongoing military activities that rely solely on the 2002 AUMF, and that repeal would have minimal impacts on military operations," Sherman told a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.