Administration Says President Can Keep Troops In Iraq Even After UN Mandate Expires

[Purveyor]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The administration can keep troops in Iraq into next year even after the current U.N. mandate governing operations there expires and without Congress' permission, a senior State Department official told a Democratic lawmaker on Wednesday.

In a letter to Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., David Satterfield said military operations can continue "beyond the end of this year under the laws passed by Congress and the president's authority as commander in chief."

Satterfield's statement reaffirms the administration's position that it does not need international or congressional approval to conduct military operations around the world, particularly when going after terrorists. Democrats counter that the president's assertion is in violation of the Constitution and hurts the U.S. image abroad.

"It's ludicrous to think that we have entry into any country because there's an individual there that we don't like," Ackerman said in an interview.

Particularly if the U.N. mandate expires, "I think the world would see our place in Iraq as totally illegitimate at that point," he said.



Read more: http://www.startribune.com/nation/16314456.html

[SpiralHawk]

1. "I am the Imperial Republicon Homelander Decider. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

"And I has decided to continue the republicon oil & munitons profits crusade. Smirk. Oh yeah, too bad about all the dead people. But, terror, terror, terror. Smirk."

- Commander AWOL

[MadMaddie]

2. Then maybe it's time for the decider to prosecuted for war crimes.

[cureautismnow]

3. The world sees our place in Iraq NOW as illegitimate.

What's the difference? There was no U.N. mandate to invade Iraq. There were no WMD's. SH is gone. Why are we still there? :shrug:

[Amonester]

11. #1 reason why = **' have's and have-more's $$ (this "group" includes)

cheney, poppy's BFEE, etc. (and yes, John Mc$ame).

[Xipe Totec]

4. GWB - Public Enema #1 n/t

[bobthedrummer]

5. Just like the NAZIS...

David M. Satterfield Source Watch profile
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=David_M._Satterfield

[defendandprotect]

6. "It's good to be King" .....

[struggle4progress]

7. Why is David ("Leaks Classified Info to Lobbyists") Satterfield still around?

Court Authorizes Subpoenas of Senior Officials in AIPAC Case
<FAS Nov 2007>
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2007/11/court_authorizes_subpoenas_of_.html


New York Times
August 18, 2005
Page A20
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/18/politics/18inquire.html

WASHINGTON -- The second-highest diplomat at the United States Embassy in Baghdad is one of the anonymous government officials cited in an Aug. 4 indictment as having provided classified information to .. a .. lobbying group ... The diplomat, David M. Satterfield, was identified in the indictment as a United States government official, "USGO-2" ... In early 2002, USGO-2 discussed secret national security matters in two meetings with Steven J. Rosen ... who has been charged in the case ... http://www.tacomapjh.org/SecondHighestUSDiplomat.htm

[bobthedrummer]

8. So, Satterfield was "talking" with Steve Rosen. He was hooked-up

with Keith Weissman, convicted spy Lawrence Franklin, former NSC guy Kenneth Pollack, Israeli "diplomat" and Iran nuclear expert Nalor Gilon and a whole nest of other spooks?

Then someone "decided" to expose NOC counterproliferation agent Valerie Plame Wilson-and the fall guy was "Scooter"???

Impeach and indict them all.

[HuffleClaw]

9. "it does not need international or **congressional approval**"

about anything so far as i can tell.

[zytime]

10. Breaking news!

Administration says President can ____________(fill in the blank).

[Amonester]

12. ___break the laws he doesn't like___

__spy on whoever he wants when he wants to__
__enrich his inner-circle at the taxpayers' grandkids expense__
__wreak and destroy everything he touches without any congresscritter's opposition__
etc.

[struggle4progress]

13. Nixon instructed his lawyer to tell SCOTUS "he is as powerful a monarch as Louis XIV"

and the view has since become standard Publican dogma -- whenever a Publican is in office: of course, when a Dem is in office, the Publicans take an entirely different view