As NATO’s military campaign against Moammar Gadhafi’s Libyan regime continued last week, the 60-day deadline for U.S. participation expired, based on the 1973 War Powers Resolution. So it’s debatable whether President Obama has the legal authority for continued use of U.S. forces in the Libyan campaign.
The “witching hour” has arrived.
So far, the president hasn’t made a persuasive case for ignoring the deadline. He owes the American people an explanation.
Polls show declining public support for this intervention, despite the president’s repeated upbeat assessments of its progress….
Unless Congress removes funding, our military presence in Libya will continue. Unless Congress impeaches a President for doing this, Presidents (of both parties) will ignore the War Powers Act, saying it is unconstitutional. It is my understanding that every President since this was enacted asserted it was not necessary to get Congressional approval for military action. When they went to Congress, they said they did to get their support, not approval.
What?? Gadhaffi is still in power? His regime hasn’t collapsed under the shock and awe of a no-fly zone combined with some air interdiction? The Jeffersonian nature of the rebellion hasn’t revealed itself? The optimistic predictions of 100 flowers blooming hasn’t come true? Who would have thought it?
Besides me, of course.
carl
Military interventions with no clear objectives often achieve no clear objective.