Say what you will, it's a war in Libya

[n2doc]

By Jonathan Schell
June 21, 2011
The Obama administration has come up with a remarkable justification for going to war against Libya without the congressional approval required by the Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973.

American planes are taking off, they are entering Libyan airspace, they are finding their targets, they are dropping bombs, and the bombs are killing and injuring people and destroying things. One can see this as a good war or a bad war, but surely it is a war.

Nonetheless, the Obama administration insists it is not a war. Why? Because, according to "United States Activities in Libya," a 32-page report that the administration released last week, "U.S. operations do not involve sustained fighting or active exchanges of fire with hostile forces, nor do they involve the presence of U.S. ground troops, U.S. casualties or a serious threat thereof, or any significant chance of escalation into a conflict characterized by those factors."

In other words, the balance of forces is so lopsided in favor of the United States that no Americans are dying or are threatened with dying. War is only war, it seems, when Americans are dying — when we die. When only they — the Libyans — die, it is something else for which there is as yet apparently no name.

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http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-schell-war-powers-20110621,0,7112428.story

[plumbob]

1. Yep. Just another in an unending series of bullshit "actions" that enrich

the "right" people. Hasn't been a right military action by the US since 1948.

[bemildred]

2. "It's only war if they can fight back."

To paraphrase the argument.

[mike_c]

3. Obama's logic in support of yet another unnecessary war is particularly twisted in Libya....

Fortunately, the WPR does not say anything at all about having troops on the ground, or about risk of casualties. It refers only to "hostilities" between the U.S. and another entity, which surely the U.S. military is indeed engaged in within and over Libya. Obama is going to lose this one and there will be a republican effort to impeach him over it. That's the sap they'll throw to the Tea Party to get them off their backs during budget negotiations and to let the adults take care of the 2012 election. A nice impeachment lynch mob will keep the crazy part of the base occupied quite nicely.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. So the action in Libya is just as free of being a war

as was the German action in Guernica.

After all, no German ground troops were involved - just some rather intense air support.

[bvar22]

5. It is not just a WAR in Libya,

it is a CIVIL War.



If you're not FOR the New OIL WAR in Libya,
you're WITH The Communists AlQaeda The Terrorists Saddam Qaddafi!!!

[Demeter]

6. It's Called a "War Crime"

since unprovoked aggression without an official declaration of war is nothing less.

[somone]

7. Excellent article