Jason Ditz / AntiWar.com & Justin Raimondo / AntiWar.com – 2015-11-02 00:46:58
US Deployment to Syria Again Raises Questions on War Powers Act
ACTION ALERT: US Deployment to Syria Again Raises Questions on War Powers Act
Jason Ditz / AntiWar.com
(November 1, 2015) — Under the War Powers Act, Congress is supposed to vote on any war within 60 days of its launch. The ISIS war began in 2014, and because of mid-term elections looming large, Congress just never voted on it, meaning the war was never authorized.
There’ve been a few pushes for Authorizations for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) against ISIS, but they’ve never gotten far. beyond their respective committees. The administration has simply ignored the lack of authorization for the war so far, but deploying ground troops into Syria is likely to bring the question some new attention.
This is doubly true because, back when those AUMF proposals were making the rounds, endorsed by the White House, they almost all explicitly banned sending ground troops into Syria, meaning even if the administration had gotten their requested authorization, they’d be violating it now.
That also means even if, as some Congressmen hope, the deployment obliges the Congressional leadership to finally see the AUMF brought to a vote, they’re likely going to have to pen a brand new version of the authorization that’s even broader, in keeping with the various ways the war has expanded in recent weeks.
Those escalations in the war probably aren’t done either, so the administration’s input on any new draft will be an interesting guide into their future plans, and another reason why the White House is hoping this new push for authorization, like previous pushes, is brief and uneventful.
ACTION ALERT: Call Congress:
Tell Them ‘No US Troops in Syria’
Justin Raimondo / AntiWar.com
(November 1, 2015) — Two years ago, as the War Party was agitating for US intervention in Syria and the President was announcing his capitulation to their demands, Barack Obama told the American people the following:
“I will not put American boots on the ground in Syria. I will not pursue an open-ended action like Iraq or Afghanistan. I will not pursue a prolonged air campaign like Libya or Kosovo.”
Since that time, he and his principal spokespersons have repeated this promise or some variation of it no less than ten times, as the Washington Post has pointed out. But guess what? If you like your “no boots on the ground” you can keep your “no boots on the ground” — because our Dear Leader has turned on a dime.
Yes, folks, it has just been announced that US Special Forces are going into Syria in order to “advise and assist” the newly-formed “Syrian Democratic Forces,” yet another alliance of “moderate” Syrian rebels whose “moderation” consists mainly of wishful thinking on the part of this administration.
The formation of the “Syrian Democratic Forces” was announced just after the revelation that the Pentagon was giving up its training program to put US-vetted Syrian rebels in the field, and will instead ramp up its “covert” program of aiding existing rebel groups.
A key change: while the commanders will be vetted, the fighters under their command will be given a Get Out of Jail Free card. That’s because the jihadists fighting the regime of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad are all Islamist extremists of one sort or another, and connected ideologically if not organizationally either to al-Qaeda or the Islamic State.
To take a prime example: one of the thirteen groups under the “Syrian Democratic Forces” banner is “Suwar al-Raqqa,” otherwise known as the “Raqqa Revolutionaries.” These worthies defected to al-Qaeda in 2013:
“Hundreds of fighters under the command of the opposition Free Syrian Army (FSA) have reportedly switched allegiance to al-Qaeda-aligned groups, in a move described as a huge blow to moderate rebel forces.
“Activists and military sources have told Al Jazeera that the 11th Division — one of the biggest FSA brigades — has switched allegiance to the al-Nusra Front in Raqqah province, a border province with Turkey. A video was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday purporting to show members of the 11th Division parading through Raqqah with Nusra fighters.
“In the video clip, a voice can be heard saying in Arabic, “Raqqah . . . September 19, 2013 . . . . The convoy of Nusra . . . God is great . . . Nusra in Raqqah province.”
“The switch, if confirmed, tightens Nusra’s control of Raqqah just days after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) attacked members of the Free Syrian Army in Azaz, on the border with Turkey.
“The Reuters news agency, citing sources inside Syria, also reported that entire units of the FSA had joined Nusra and the ISIS in recent days. The Raqqah Revolutionaries — which is part of the 11th Division — has about 750 fighters in total, according to a source close to al-Qaeda linked forces.”
Remember those 3,000 people murdered on September 11, 2001, in the middle of New York City? We’re now aiding and abetting their murderers — in the name of the “war on terrorism.”
While the liberal media is trying to tell us that there’s nothing to see in Hillary’s emails, and it’s all a “witch-hunt,” a missive from one of her top aides, hawkish Jacob Sullivan, avers “See last item — AQ is on our side in Syria.”
The item referred to is a news account of the statement of Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s successor, calling on Muslims in Turkey and the Middle East to overthrow Assad without relying on the Arab League, Turkey, or the United States.”
Yes, but we sure are relying on al-Qaeda to do our dirty work, even sending US Special Forces to assist and direct the head-choppers of the “Raqqa Revolutionaries” in their efforts to turn Syria into an Islamic theocracy, eradicate religious minorities, and spur the refugee exodus that is turning Europe into a boiling cauldron of misery.
The decision to send US Special Forces into Syria is a deadly dangerous gamble: with Russia now bombing terrorist positions in that country, the chances that American troops will come under fire from Russian warplanes is not small. Indeed, the timing of this announcement clearly shows that it has nothing to do with fighting ISIS, but everything to do with confronting the Russians.
The War Party has no compunctions about starting World War III — that’s how crazy they are.
To top it all off, they think we’re stupid, and that we just don’t remember — or care — what they told us only yesterday. They think we don’t notice that every single word of the above-cited speech by our President turned out to be a flat-out lie:
“I will not put American boots on the ground in Syria” — except that they’re on their way, if they haven’t already been there covertly.
“I will not pursue an open-ended action like Iraq or Afghanistan” — that’s another lie. We’ve been trying to overthrow Assad since 2012.
“I will not pursue a prolonged air campaign like Libya or Kosovo”>b? — and yet what is our bombing campaign in Syria if not a prolonged air campaign?
The masters of mendacity in Washington couldn’t tell the truth if their lives depended on it: they have only to open their mouths and lies come spilling out like vomit from a drunk.
It’s time to put an end to this fusillade of falsity. We did it once before, the last time this President decided it was time to gin up another Middle Eastern war, and we can do it again.
It’s time the policymakers heard from the American people.
As Rep. Peter Welch, Democrat of Vermont, put it:
“This announcement raises serious questions about the Administration’s strategy in the region. There may be credible answers but, without the engagement of Congress consistent with the requirements of the Constitution, the American people will not get the answers to which they are entitled.
“The biggest question raised by today’s announcement is, ‘When will Congress finally accept its responsibility?’ The Constitution is clear that only Congress can authorize war.
“Make no mistake about it, this is a war. Yet, the legal framework justifying this war is loosely tied to the fumes of a Congressional authorization approved in response to the 9/11 attack on America over 14 years ago.
“A civil war in Syria did not exist 14 years ago. ISIS did not exist 14 years ago. Neither the United States nor Russia were conducting military operations in Syria 14 years ago.
“Every Member of Congress should debate and vote on the Administration’s strategy. No more bobbing and weaving. We need to do our job.”
We here at Antiwar.com are doing our job — which is to inform our readers of the continuing threat of war. The rest is up to you.
Please — call your congressional representatives. Tell them you are opposed to sending US troops to Syria. Demand that they call for a vote in Congress — because only Congress can declare war.
Tell them enough is enough — and do it today.
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