President Obama Claims War Powers Act Does Not Apply to Libya

By on June 15, 2011 in News 12

US Great SealWTF, Obama … Charlie Savage and Mark Landler report in the NY Times:

The White House, pushing hard against criticism in Congress over the deepening air war in Libya, asserted Wednesday that President Obama had the authority to continue the military campaign without Congressional approval because American involvement fell short of full-blown hostilities.

In a 38-page report sent to lawmakers describing and defending the NATO-led operation, the White House said the mission was prying loose Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s grip on power.

In contending that the limited American role did not oblige the administration to ask for authorization under the War Powers Resolution, the report asserted that “U.S. operations do not involve sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire with hostile forces, nor do they involve U.S. ground troops.” Still, the White House acknowledged, the operation has cost the Pentagon $716 million in its first two months and will have cost $1.1 billion by September at the current scale of operations.

Read More: NY Times

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  • Haystack

    …and if some country we’re bombing should take exception to our “involvement” and declare war on us? Effectively, the president has the power to start wars, as long as he doesn’t declare them. 

    This isn’t new–prior presidents have ignored the War Powers Act in the same way. It’s the kind of thing that Congress should have backed up with an impeachment proceeding decades ago, but that would have required them to…you know…protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. 

  • Nunzio X

    If anyone had any doubt that the USA isn’t a 21st Century version of the Titanic, and all its citizens doomed passengers suffering a drunken captain steaming full speed ahead toward the icebergs, this latest tidbit ought to make things crystal clear. (This ain’t anti-Obama, it’s anti-unsustainable system; our very SYSTEM dooms us.)

    Get ready for a very loud crash, followed by a swim in the icy waters, motherfuckers.

  • SleeperRepitilianNaziAssassin

    they planned on doing this already as part of strategy and the good ol media just so happened to have a “heads up” on it and spoon fed it to everybody trying to get ppl good and rallied about it by picking one side or the other in libya.. u know.. because it’s always that black and white.. since there’s always a good side and a bad side and all.. *jerk jerk jerk* ppl can start by making an example out of Obama to end this shit once and for all.. or more like when are the people of the united states going to defend their own constitution?  there are a few of you not behind bars, right?  or is it those personal, invisible bars? i say, rise up and defend it or burn the mother fucker and all dollars you have and start over.  ppl can start by just not going to work tomorrow.  the gears in this machine must come to a screeching halt.      

  • SleeperRepitilianNaziAssassin

    they planned on doing this already as part of strategy and the good ol media just so happened to have a “heads up” on it and spoon fed it to everybody trying to get ppl good and rallied about it by picking one side or the other in libya.. u know.. because it’s always that black and white.. since there’s always a good side and a bad side and all.. *jerk jerk jerk* ppl can start by making an example out of Obama to end this shit once and for all.. or more like when are the people of the united states going to defend their own constitution?  there are a few of you not behind bars, right?  or is it those personal, invisible bars? i say, rise up and defend it or burn the mother fucker and all dollars you have and start over.  ppl can start by just not going to work tomorrow.  the gears in this machine must come to a screeching halt.      

  • ToRepubOrNotToRepub

    Obama is a war criminal…he is officially worse than Bush in that regard :(

    Ron Paul 2012 (I am as socially progressive as they come and I am actually going to register as a Republican just so I can vote for Paul in the primaries…yikes!!!)

  • Old Soul

    Yeah, paul’s a retarded gold bug who believes in jesus, so no. No prez for him.

  • Old Soul

    Yeah, paul’s a retarded gold bug who believes in jesus, so no. No prez for him.

  • Old Soul

    Yes, I have advocated not going to work anymore for a while now. As well as no longer driving. 

  • Anonymous

    I don’t know about ‘worse’ in an absolute sense.  They both claimed to have charitable motives at heart–bringing democracy to a backwards part of the world desparately in need of colonization or ‘getting along’ with our NATO allies.
     
    Maybe I’m losing the ability to appreciate fine distinctions that both add up to people being maimed and killed in the process of creating enduring chaos.  Perversity overload.
     
    But I appreciate the precedent.  Once Obama’s doing time, then we get Bush and Cheney in the docket.  From the point of view of applying a consistent standard, I don’t see how you can’t.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t know about ‘worse’ in an absolute sense.  They both claimed to have charitable motives at heart–bringing democracy to a backwards part of the world desparately in need of colonization or ‘getting along’ with our NATO allies.
     
    Maybe I’m losing the ability to appreciate fine distinctions that both add up to people being maimed and killed in the process of creating enduring chaos.  Perversity overload.
     
    But I appreciate the precedent.  Once Obama’s doing time, then we get Bush and Cheney in the docket.  From the point of view of applying a consistent standard, I don’t see how you can’t.

  • ToRepubOrNotToRepub

    He’s also the only candidate who has promised to bring home ALL of the troops immediately…

    Read this: http://www.counterpunch.org/davis04282011.html (Is Ron Paul More Progressive Than Obama?)

    then watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ko7jwg3x94  

  • ToRepubOrNotToRepub

    Nothing would make me happier than seeing Bush & Co. shackled and chained and shipped off to Guantanamo Bay for war crimes…am hard just thinking about it :)