This week's headlines were rightly dominated by news from Japan, Libya, and Bahrain. But developments on another international story -- Afghanistan -- also deserve our attention. Joining a growing list of Republican leaders, Haley Barbour took his first steps toward a possible 2012 run by sharply questioning our continuing presence in the country. This came on the heels of Mike Huckabee also distancing himself from the war. Of course, Barbour and Huckabee are actually catching up to the American people: a new poll showed that 64 percent of the public says the war in Afghanistan is no longer worth fighting. You know we've moved way beyond left vs. right on this issue when Afghanistan threatens to become an issue in 2012, with the GOP hopefuls staking out the anti-war position. Elsewhere, Gilbert Gottfried and Barbour spokesman Dan Turner were enshrined in the #waytoosoon hall of shame.
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The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war and pass laws regulating the military (article 1 sec 8). In this role, they've passed the War Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1541–1548). Section 1541 says the President, as Commander in Chief, can only constitutionally order military forces into combat pursuant to:
(1) a declaration of war,
(2) specific statutory authorization, or
(3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.
It doesn't seem to me that any of the three criteria have been met for combat in Libya. The more commonly known provisions, with notification requirements to Congress, do not relieve the President of the duty to meet section 1541.
Will Congress let the Executive Branch off the hook?
-FB's Card-Carrying American
"The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation."
-FB's Card-Carrying American
p.s. His use of the word "unilaterally" here refers to "without seeking a use-of-force authorization from Congress."
1. A clear objective
2. A clear definition of "victory"
Afghanistan has neither.
We simply don't have the money to "nation build" anymore.
2004: Reelect Bush because he was tough enough to start two necessary wars.
2008: Don't elect Obama because he is not tough enough to continue the two wars Bush left him.
2012: Don't reelect Obama because he is not tough enough to end the two unnecessary wars Bush started.
Straight talk from the RNC.
Perhaps people will eventually learn that if any country starts a war, the country has a responsibility to the innocent lives that may be destroyed if a country is turned into a war zone, than into a wasteland when the armies leave. We cannot leave Afghanistan. As harsh as it may sound to all of us here, we cannot just leave a country completely unstable. It is a hole that we dug ourselves.
Remember, revolutions are never imposed. Revolution must come from the people themselves. If most of the people of Iraq or Afghanistan were ready for Democracy, they would be doing what Libyans, Egyptians, Bharanians, Tunesians have done.
The Libyan war is the responsibility of Libyan people, because they started it. Afghanistan is ours, because we started it.
As far as Afghanistan goes, all I am saying is that we are all that stands in that country between the people and chaos. You understand my meaning? It was rather unintelligent going in, but leaving without giving some sort of stability to the people would be immoral.
The U.S. Constitutions says: "...to provide for the common defense..." it doesn't say "to go on the offensive wherever and whenever we want."
Libya is not our fight -- like it or not, it's a civil war.
When we show NO RESPECT for sovereign nations (even those who have despots like Sadaam & Khadaffi) it's no wonder why the rest of the world has no respect for us as a nation. We can say the word humanitarian over & over, but what we do speaks louder than what we say.
By the way, this morning the Arab League backed out of the Libyan invasion. As soon as we launched the missles, the Arab League said this isn't what we signed up for. All Libya's neighbors will be on the sidelines when the pictures of the innocent civilians killed or wounded by the nasty American missles show up on AlJazzera. Now it's our war for sure. Libya is broke and we've got to fix it. Can anyone say boots on the ground??
We should bring our military home and station them on the southern border. That's the REAL threat to the homeland. That's where we really need to provide for the common defense. An enemy invasion takes place on a daily basis and we allow it -- we're asleep with our eyes open.
Keep up the great work.
Dennis Kucinich wants to have a congressional debate and a vote before we launch into Libya. Something about the U.S. constitution and only congress having the power to declare war. Does anyone even pay any attention at all to the Constitution anymore?
3:40pm
Arlington, VA
'"Does anyone even pay any attention at all to the Constitution anymore?"
Yes, if it suits them.