What to Expect from Obama's Second Term (Part One)

More Unconstitutional Wars

According to the Constitution, only Congress possesses the power to declare war. This did not prevent President Obama from waging war – or rather the Orwellian “kinetic military action” – in Libya in March of 2011. This “kinetic military action” involved launching Tomahawk cruise missiles against the Libyan people. Obama’s actions in Libya violated the War Powers Resolution. According to the War Powers Resolution: “The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to (1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.” While Qaddafi was a state sponsor of terrorism and no friend to the United States, Libya did not declare war upon the United States. No attack upon the United States was undertaken by Libya. No such attack was imminent.

Under the War Powers Resolution, after sixty days, the President is required to terminate such military action “unless the Congress (1) has declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces, (2) has extended by law such sixty-day period, or (3) is physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack upon the United States.” Nevertheless, while Obama sought the approval of NATO, the United Nations, and the Arab League before attacking Libya, he never bothered seeking the approval of Congress at any point. After the sixtieth day of hostilities, Obama claimed that Congressional approval was no longer necessary because American military action had conveniently become “intermittent and principally an effort to support the ongoing NATO-led and UN-authorized civilian support mission and no fly zone.”

Unlike President Bill Clinton, who was impeached for lying about an extramarital affair, President Obama faced no Congressional sanctions of any kind for his unconstitutional war in Libya. The blowback from this military misadventure included the hoisting of an al Qaeda flag over a courthouse in Benghazi, an attempted genocide against Black Libyans, and the murders of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Tyrone S. Woods in the attack on the consulate in Benghazi.

Empowered by the unwillingness of Congress to stand up to his unconstitutional warmongering, President Obama is likely to employ “kinetic military action” again during his second term. Whether this imperial violence is aimed at Syria, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, or at some other nation, the results will be the same. The checks and balances of the Constitution will be further eroded, the executive branch will become more dictatorial, and blowback against the American people will undoubtedly result.