All Hostile Action Should Be Approved by Congress....Even Libya

Across the political circles there has been a decent amount of debate about the involvement of the United States in hostile action in the country of Libya. We have been discussing it on this website, and the top officials of the U.S. Government have expressed their opinions about the situation.

The outgoing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates believes that the mission in Libya is not a violation of the War Powers Resolution and takes the side of his boss President Obama:

Outgoing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates defended the Obama administration Sunday against congressional critics who say President Barack Obama is in violation of the War Powers act over ongoing operations in Libya.

"I believe that President Obama has complied with the law consistent in a manner with virtually all of his predecessors," Gates said on "Fox News Sunday." "I don't think he's breaking any new ground here."

The War Powers Act generally requires the president to seek congressional approval within 60 days of the start of hostilities. The Obama administration has maintained that their mission in Libya is too limited to apply under the War Powers Act.

"From our standpoint at the Pentagon, we're involved in a limited kinetic operation," Gates told host Chris Wallace. "If I'm in [Libyan leader Muammar] Qadhafi's palace, I suspect I think I'm at war."

But here is the predicament...two of the Pentagons top lawyers (that we reported on the other day) believe that the President needs to seek the approval of Congress.  They sight the section of the War Powers Resolution of 1973 that requires the President to seek approval of Congress within 60 days of the start of hostilities.

The War Powers Resolution also states the explicit wording that gives Congress the power to check the power of the President when he tries to commit U.S. forces to action anywhere and under any circumstances:

SEC. 3. The President in every possible instance shall consult with Congress  before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities or into  situation where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the  circumstances, and after every such introduction shall consult regularly with the Congress until United States Armed Forces are no longer engaged in  hostilities or have been removed from such situations.

 Gates, and the Obama Administration are clearly out of line when they suggest that the United States is not "really" involved in action in the country of Libya. From my understanding we are involved and we are dropping bombs and using our naval forces to conduct efforts in Libya to depose of the country's leader.

How about we start following the Constitution and the laws that are passed by our legislative body that fall under the guard of our founding documents. Stop circumventing the law and own up to the fact that you have broken the law and certain punishments should be dealt for that course of action.