A declaration of war!: Troops, don’t leave homeland without it

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Written By Mike Smith

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Some pertinent quotes:

Brevity is the soul of wit.  – William Shakespeare

When your voters become too smart to be baffled by your bullsnort (and they will) then vex them with verbosity.  — New House/Senate Member Orientation Manual — Rule 1.

Never say in a dozen words what you may express in a dozen dozen.   –New House/Senate Member Orientation Manual —  Corollary to Rule 1. — 2007

Brevity is the soul of wit. Wit is not the only thing of which brevity is the soul; it also is the soul of truth.   In the practice of using many words we often discover deception for the purpose of doing evil, for the purpose of cheating others.

May I please express my concern for the men and women wearing the military uniform of the united states of America?  I am one who believes that you can support the troops even if you do not support the action or the purpose of the action they’ve been ordered to undertake.  Pray for: all aspects of their mission to be only righteous; their actions to be just, harming no innocents; and their safe delivery home.  Is that not support?

I also believe that you CANNOT support the troops by sending them into combat without a very definite, well-defined, properly constituted declaration of war that is supported by the just, full backing of the united states congress which commits all of our resources to their victory.  If troops are to pay with blood, we are to pay with everything we can to ensure their just victory.  When Congress abdicates its authority and sends troops into combat with anything less, THEY and the President, who also commands the action, show disrespect- not support- for the troops.

Let me first disclose that I am ashamed of myself for agreeing with George W. Bush (if only barely after much anguish) that it was ok for him to put our sons, daughters, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, our countrymen in harm’s way in Iraq without the proper greatest single act of support for the troops- an act without which support is dubious at best, tentative, untenable and actually not possible; a properly constituted declaration of war.

I believed that Saddam was in possession of weapons of mass destruction and had intended to use them, including possibly on us.  And maybe he did have them, and maybe he did intend to use them on us, but that doesn’t change the fact of the matter at hand.  It is immoral and reprehensible to send out to defend us those willing to fight and kill and die without that properly constituted declaration of war.   We should demand one now if our troops continue to stay on this mission that now appears to be nothing more than a feckless effort of pacification of civil war participants.

So what does a properly constituted declaration of war look like?  Let us turn to the last two properly issued, those, a mere three days apart, against Japan and Germany in 1941.  (I guess no declaration against Italy was necessary, since, given their history of changing sides, it might have to be rescinded before the cessation of “hostilities.”)  First, know that only Congress can declare war, then directing the President to prosecute it fully and to its logical end, victory.    Please take note of the Congressional declaration of war on Japan that follows immediately:

Congressional Declaration of War on Japan    (166 Words)

December 8, 1941

JOINT RESOLUTION Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial Government of Japan and the Government and the people of the United States and making provisions to prosecute the same.

Whereas the Imperial Government of Japan has committed unprovoked acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America:

Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial Government of Japan which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial Government of Japan; and, to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

Approved, December 8, 1941, 4:10 p.m. E.S.T.

Take note, friends, that this declaration of war, a succinct, direct and unambiguous work, pledged to our fighting men everything they needed to succeed in beating Japan thusly, “all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.” 

The most recent properly constituted declaration of war- against Germany- follows immediately after The President’s Message, (also pointed and succinct):

US Declaration of War against Germany (including the President’s message)

December 11, 1941

The President’s Message

To the Congress of the United States:

On the morning of Dec. 11 the Government of Germany, pursuing its course of world conquest, declared war against the United States. The long-known and the long-expected has thus taken place. The forces endeavoring to enslave the entire world now are moving toward this hemisphere. Never before has there been a greater challenge to life, liberty and civilization. Delay invites great danger. Rapid and united effort by all of the peoples of the world who are determined to remain free will insure a world victory of the forces of justice and of righteousness over the forces of savagery and of barbarism. Italy also has declared war against the United States.

I therefore request the Congress to recognize a state of war between the United States and Germany, and between the United States and Italy.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

The War Resolution (151 Words)

Declaring that a state of war exists between the Government of Germany and the government and the people of the United States and making provision to prosecute the same.

Whereas the Government of Germany has formally declared war against the government and the people of the United States of America:

Therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that the state of war between the United States and the Government of Germany which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the government to carry on war against the Government of Germany; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

Brevity.  The succinctness of the declarations is almost unimaginable to those of us who have rarely heard, by anybody in government, at any level, a spade called a spade.  Normally there is all manner of obfuscation, rear-end covering, dissembling and deception in everything Congress does and our Presidents do.  Not here.  While you may have arguments regarding points covered or not covered, these declarations compare quite favorably to equivocations, claimed to be declarations of war, which have been issued by Congress since 1941.

In the above declarations Congress:

Declared the existence of a state of war

Directed the President to act on the enemy with decisiveness

Pledged all of the resources of the country to win

(We will not be observing, here, that “all of the resources of the country” is a tacit declaration of the nationalization of all of the people’s resources, labor and property.)  What I address now is the difference between the declarations of war properly issued to defend our nation against the nations attacking us and the following Authorization of the Use of Force (AUoF) given to President George “W. Stands For War” Bush to do what he thinks is proper with regard to the so-called “War on Terror.”

My assessment will appear before the AUoF, rather than afterward as with the declarations of war, because it’s a long way to the end of the AUoF and you may lose interest before getting to my opinion if it were to follow the AUoF.

One-thousand eight-hundred and fifty-one (1,851) words are used in the AUoF below.  While the declarations of war against Japan and Germany were very specific and used only 166 words and 151 words respectively, Congress, in giving authorization to President Bush used 1,851 words so as to be able to later make the resolution say whatever they want it to, all the while covering their butts and waving flags.  One thing is certain.  It is NOT a properly constituted declaration of war.

You will note that there was not one mention of the congress seeking the approval of the United Nations or any other body for the authority to declare war on Japan or Germany.  In the AUoF which allowed President Bush to go on a fishing expedition long after Hussein was denied weapons of mass destruction, there are not fewer than 21 mentions of the United Nations and their resolutions authorizing use of the blood of our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers to justify- then prosecute- the President’s “war” on terror.

I will let you read it without further commentary except these few observations.  Our Congress and our President deferred to the communist, evil United Nations for authority to defend the united states of America.  The United Nations is the largest collection of criminals, misanthropes and bullies and the U.N. building should be covered in plastic, de-loused and then destroyed.  Those who populate the building should be prosecuted, if they are guilty of crimes, as many are, and the rest sent home.

Congress used “use of force” as a euphemism for “war,” and that is cowardly.  If we ask our countrymen to engage in it we should (be able to) say it, watch it and determine, decisively, that it is proper.  If we would avert our eyes at the sight of it, we shouldn’t force others to watch it, as they commit to it and then commit it.

If their blood is shed for us, may our troops’ actions be just, their mission righteous, innocents protected, their victory had and their homecoming soon.  Pray that in the name of Jesus, whose blood is also shed for us.

Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq

(1,851 words)

Whereas in 1990 in response to Iraq’s war of aggression against and illegal occupation of Kuwait, the United States forged a coalition of nations to liberate Kuwait and its people in order to defend the national security of the United States and enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions relating to Iraq;

Whereas after the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, Iraq entered into a United Nations sponsored cease-fire agreement pursuant to which Iraq unequivocally agreed, among other things, to eliminate its nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programs and the means to deliver and develop them, and to end its support for international terrorism;

Whereas the efforts of international weapons inspectors, United States intelligence agencies, and Iraqi defectors led to the discovery that Iraq had large stockpiles of chemical weapons and a large scale biological weapons program, and that Iraq had an advanced nuclear weapons development program that was much closer to producing a nuclear weapon than intelligence reporting had previously indicated;

Whereas Iraq, in direct and flagrant violation of the cease-fire, attempted to thwart the efforts of weapons inspectors to identify and destroy Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction stockpiles and development capabilities, which finally resulted in the withdrawal of inspectors from Iraq on October 31, 1998;

Whereas in 1998 Congress concluded that Iraq’s continuing weapons of mass destruction programs threatened vital United States interests and international peace and security, declared Iraq to be in “material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations” and urged the President “to take appropriate action, in accordance with the Constitution and relevant laws of the United States, to bring Iraq into compliance with its international obligations” (Public Law 105-235);

Whereas Iraq both poses a continuing threat to the national security of the United States and international peace and security in the Persian Gulf region and remains in material and unacceptable breach of its international obligations by, among other things, continuing to possess and develop a significant chemical and biological weapons capability, actively seeking a nuclear weapons capability, and supporting and harboring terrorist organizations;

Whereas Iraq persists in violating resolutions of the United Nations Security Council by continuing to engage in brutal repression of its civilian population thereby threatening international peace and security in the region, by refusing to release, repatriate, or account for non-Iraqi citizens wrongfully detained by Iraq, including an American serviceman, and by failing to return property wrongfully seized by Iraq from Kuwait;

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction against other nations and its own people;

Whereas the current Iraqi regime has demonstrated its continuing hostility toward, and willingness to attack, the United States, including by attempting in 1993 to assassinate former President Bush and by firing on many thousands of occasions on United States and Coalition Armed Forces engaged in enforcing the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council;

Whereas members of al Qaida, an organization bearing responsibility for attacks on the United States, its citizens, and interests, including the attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, are known to be in Iraq;

Whereas Iraq continues to aid and harbor other international terrorist organizations, including organizations that threaten the lives and safety of American citizens;

Whereas the attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001 underscored the gravity of the threat posed by the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by international terrorist organizations;

Whereas Iraq’s demonstrated capability and willingness to use weapons of mass destruction, the risk that the current Iraqi regime will either employ those weapons to launch a surprise attack against the United States or its Armed Forces or provide them to international terrorists who would do so, and the extreme magnitude of harm that would result to the United States and its citizens from such an attack, combine to justify action by the United States to defend itself;

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 authorizes the use of all necessary means to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolution 660 and subsequent relevant resolutions and to compel Iraq to cease certain activities that threaten international peace and security, including the development of weapons of mass destruction and refusal or obstruction of United Nations weapons inspections in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687, repression of its civilian population in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 688, and threatening its neighbors or United Nations operations in Iraq in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 949;

Whereas Congress in the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1) has authorized the President “to use United States Armed Forces pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 678 (1990) in order to achieve implementation of Security Council Resolutions 660, 661, 662, 664, 665, 666, 667, 669, 670, 674, and 677”;

Whereas in December 1991, Congress expressed its sense that it “supports the use of all necessary means to achieve the goals of United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 as being consistent with the Authorization of Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution (Public Law 102-1),” that Iraq’s repression of its civilian population violates United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 and “constitutes a continuing threat to the peace, security, and stability of the Persian Gulf region,” and that Congress, “supports the use of all necessary means to achieve the goals of United Nations Security Council Resolution 688”;

Whereas the Iraq Liberation Act (Public Law 105-338) expressed the sense of Congress that it should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove from power the current Iraqi regime and promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime;

Whereas on September 12, 2002, President Bush committed the United States to “work with the United Nations Security Council to meet our common challenge” posed by Iraq and to “work for the necessary resolutions,” while also making clear that “the Security Council resolutions will be enforced, and the just demands of peace and security will be met, or action will be unavoidable”;

Whereas the United States is determined to prosecute the war on terrorism and Iraq’s ongoing support for international terrorist groups combined with its development of weapons of mass destruction in direct violation of its obligations under the 1991 cease-fire and other United Nations Security Council resolutions make clear that it is in the national security interests of the United States and in furtherance of the war on terrorism that all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions be enforced, including through the use of force if necessary;

Whereas Congress has taken steps to pursue vigorously the war on terrorism through the provision of authorities and funding requested by the President to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001 or harbored such persons or organizations;

Whereas the President and Congress are determined to continue to take all appropriate actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such persons or organizations;

Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to take action in order to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States, as Congress recognized in the joint resolution on Authorization for Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40); and

Whereas it is in the national security of the United States to restore international peace and security to the Persian Gulf region;

Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the “Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq”.

SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR UNITED STATES DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS

The Congress of the United States supports the efforts by the President to–

(a) strictly enforce through the United Nations Security Council all relevant Security Council resolutions applicable to Iraq and encourages him in those efforts; and

(b) obtain prompt and decisive action by the Security Council to ensure that Iraq abandons its strategy of delay, evasion and noncompliance and promptly and strictly complies with all relevant Security Council resolutions.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION. The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to

(1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and

(2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions regarding Iraq.

(b) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION.

In connection with the exercise of the authority granted in subsection (a) to use force the President shall, prior to such exercise or as soon there after as may be feasible, but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that

(1) reliance by the United States on further diplomatic or other peaceful means alone either (A) will not adequately protect the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq or (B) is not likely to lead to enforcement of all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq, and

(2) acting pursuant to this resolution is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take the necessary actions against international terrorists and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorists attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

(c) WAR POWERS RESOLUTION REQUIREMENTS. —

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION. — Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS. — Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.

SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS

(a) The President shall, at least once every 60 days, submit to the Congress a report on matters relevant to this joint resolution, including actions taken pursuant to the exercise of authority granted in section 2 and the status of planning for efforts that are expected to be required after such actions are completed, including those actions described in section 7 of Public Law 105-338 (the Iraq Liberation Act of 1998).

(b) To the extent that the submission of any report described in subsection (a) coincides with the submission of any other report on matters relevant to this joint resolution otherwise required to be submitted to Congress pursuant to the reporting requirements of Public Law 93-148 (the War Powers Resolution), all such reports may be submitted as a single consolidated report to the Congress.

(c) To the extent that the information required by section 3 of Public Law 102-1 is included in the report required by this section, such report shall be considered as meeting the requirements of section 3 of Public Law 102-1.

Published originally at EtherZone.com : republication allowed with this notice and hyperlink intact.”

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