Reply #24: Reagan didn't cite the UN for Grenada, Bush didn't for Panama, he did for Somalia, Kosovo was NATO [View All]

[PurityOfEssence]

I don't know enough about Kosovo, but I'm going to brush up this weekend.

Here's the contention I make: Obama didn't use the War Powers Act as a justification for intervening; he simply referred to it at the very end, saying that he was informing Congress "consistent" to its stipulations. It's fine lawyerly talk, and he's not even saying that he's obeying it or even recognizing it's constitutionality or standing as a current law. He's completely in violation of the War Powers Act--as have been other Presidents, although NONE so flagrantly--which I will seek to explain later today.

Thus, I'm only addressing his contention that the UN Charter gives him the power to do this.

Reagan didn't address the UN at all about Grenada: he just did it, and made some concessions to addressing the War Powers Act (had a chat with O'Neill, and claimed imminent danger that was tantamount to an attack; it was bullshit, but he at least addressed it.) There is no UN issue at hand with Grenada at all; they shrieked--as well they should have--about it, but Reagan did not justify his action in Grenada with the UN Charter.

Bush Sr. didn't cite the UN Charter as justification for Panama, and he didn't do it under their auspices.

Bush Sr. got broad support from Congress and President-Elect Clinton for the intervention, which was done under the UN Mandate (I believe that he didn't technically get Congressional Authorization, but this was during recess, and he really seems to have followed the spirit of things, and neither side really quibbles much.

Clinton violated the War Powers Act with Kosovo, but didn't cite the UN as his justification, although I admit that I'm very sketchy on this. His and Albright's mechanism to quasi-sanctify this was to do it under the auspices of NATO.

I appreciate your response to my testy rejoinder, but respectfully contend that all four of these situations have no bearing on this issue, since none claimed the UN Charter as a justification.