Libya

[Shapley]

President In Violation of the Law, Says Bi-Partiscan Group of Lawmakers

Dennis "Impeach Bush" Kucinich has joined them...

[Giant Communist Robot]

President In Violation of the Law, Says Bi-Partiscan Group of Lawmakers

Dennis "Impeach Bush" Kucinich has joined them...

Violation of law may be tough to prove

[Shapley]

Violation of law may be tough to prove

I think the violation would be easy to prove. It would open up the question of whether or not the law is constitutional - something some congresspersons may not want to deal with. It is something with which the courts will have to deal someday, unless the law is repealed first. It seems on the one hand to trample on the 'separation of powers', but it could also be said to merely codify the limitations of the Presidents' authority as Commander-in-Chief, weighed agains the constitutional requirement of the Congress to declare war.

In essence, someone has to determine when a 'war' becomes a 'war', as opposed to being a 'police action', 'foreign intervention', 'extension of diplomacy', or 'kinetic military action'...

[Giant Communist Robot]

I was thinking lawyers can equivocate about this for eternity.

[Haggis@wk]

In essence, someone has to determine when a 'war' becomes a 'war', as opposed to being a 'police action', 'foreign intervention', 'extension of diplomacy', or 'kinetic military action'...

I, personally, think it is unconstitutional, but that's just me. I suspect neither the President nor Congress is anxious to test the concept in court.

[Giant Communist Robot]

How about "petroleumcentric adventure"?

[Giant Communist Robot]

I think NATO's role is defined well enough, but they lack a goal. As long as there are some rebels fighting somewhere NATO should be "protecting" civilians. It wouldn't take much more than a handful of rebels to keep NATO sucked in for years.

[dai bread]

They'd like that. It would ensure their continued existence, and provide an outlet for military suppliers for millennia. People have been fighting in the Middle East for millenia already, and I don't see that changing.

[Giant Communist Robot]

Libya's willingness to talk to rebels signals their desire to end NATO bombings so they can continue to shoot at rebels.

[Giant Communist Robot]

Maybe this Russian envoy can end this stuff.

[Haggis@wk]

Commitment of helicopter gunships (English and French) is a serious escalation and almost certain to end in a chopper getting shot down. A friend in the know tells me that NATO's been pressuring the U.S. to commit ground attack aircraft, including A-10s as well (I presume, but can't say with any knowledge) our own choppers.

That would mean our rescue forces have to be close enough to get to shot down fliers out in a hurry. I suspect I know where those forces are currently sitting but don't want to speculate.

In addition, rescue packages come with some heavy metal suppression packages to protect the rescue guys, and, and, and.....

This is probably the only U.S. combat operation in the last 50 years that is almost completely bereft of U.S. MSM attention.

[Giant Communist Robot]

This is probably the only U.S. combat operation in the last 50 years that is almost completely bereft of U.S. MSM attention.

I always thought the Dominican Republic adventure was rather muted. This one definitely has a low profile.

[Haggis@wk]

I always thought the Dominican Republic adventure was rather muted. This one definitely has a low profile.

I am embarrassed to admit I totally forgot about that. You are probably right 44 Americans were kill, 27 in combat but the stage setting was the same, an unpopular Democratic president expecting and receiving cover by a compliant (tho not as compliant as today) MSM

[Giant Communist Robot]

an unpopular Democratic president expecting and receiving cover by a compliant (tho not as compliant as today) MSM

Easy to liquidate any government or opposition without outcry because the media was hypnotized by Viet Nam.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

I really don't like this plan to use helicopters as ground support in sandy terrain. Rotors kick up lots of ground trash, and the helicopter power plants react terribly badly to sand in the bearings. This is not a good plan.

It's bad enough having to pick bits of birds and vegetation out of the intakes. We seldom have to deal with sand: those helicopters don't make it back. Is there a Plan B for ground vehicle extraction of downed fliers? How about Plan C?

[Giant Communist Robot]

Someone needs to send in a special team to "get" Gaddafi so this can end. He's stated he'll not leave and will die first, and the rebels and coalition look equally adamant. Given this, it's clear how this will end. Sooner is better for all, except Gaddafi of course.

[jamiebk]

Someone needs to send in a special team to "get" Gaddafi so this can end. He's stated he'll not leave and will die first, and the rebels and coalition look equally adamant. Given this, it's clear how this will end. Sooner is better for all, except Gaddafi of course.

Yep...he'll take the whole country down with him

[Giant Communist Robot]

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, president of the international chess federation, went to Libya to meet with Gaddafi. He stated he was there on business only, not to give advice. Gaddifi had nothing more pressing on his schedule and the two played chess for two hours. Ilyumzhinov has previously met with aliens from another galaxy and been a guest on their spacecraft.

[Giant Communist Robot]

Boehner (R) and Kucinich (D) both say Obama is in violation of the War Powers act. American intervention looks unpopular in Congress.