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cali

(114,904 posts)
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 04:21 AM Sep 2014

8 questions we must ask Obama about secret war

1. Mr President, the White House sent a letter to Congress indicating that you believe the Iraq War Resolution gives you the legal authority to bomb Syria. How is this possible? Why has your administration yet to publicly release a detailed legal opinion? How is this new war legal?

2. Mr President, the New York Times reported that six weeks of air strikes in Iraq have failed to meaningfully push back Isis forces. Haaretz reported that Isis recruitment has been soaring in the wake of US air strikes, with 6,000 new recruits since they began. And the US-backed Free Syrian Army claims the strikes in Syria are already turning their allies and civilians against them. Are these air strikes are doing more harm than good?

3. Mr President, you said during your address to the nation two weeks ago that you were going to model the Isis campaign on what you called a “successful” effort in Yemen. But on Thursday, the State Department ordered some of its employees to evacuate the country because of increasing violence and deaths. Many people, including the president of Yemen, whom your counter-terrorism chief strongly supports, have warned of civil war. Do you still think “the Yemen model” can lead to success in Iraq and Syria?

<snip>

8. Mr President, when you were running for president, you said, “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.” US intelligence agencies have said Isis does not pose an actual or imminent threat to the nation. Since you have not asked Congress for authorization to go to war, why is the war on Isis not unconstitutional?

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/27/questions-obama-secret-war-air-strikes-iraq-syria

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
1. Doesn't matter. he's a Democrat, and therefore we must never question
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 05:22 AM
Sep 2014

Why do you want Rand "Putin" Paul, to win congress and president all at the same time, cali? WHY?!

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
2. I know it's pretty pointless to post this kind of thing, Scoot
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 05:39 AM
Sep 2014

DU has moved on. The new war is background noise already. That was quick, eh?

newfie11

(8,159 posts)
6. It is a sad and dangerous thing
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 07:58 AM
Sep 2014

When we cannot criticize a politician because he is from your own party.
This can lead to more abuse of power.

Response to cali (Original post)

LuvNewcastle

(16,820 posts)
4. I am so sick of all the lying.
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 06:25 AM
Sep 2014

These fucking politicians pretend to be one thing and then turn around and do the same things that they criticized others for. It's simple hypocrisy, and they all do it. They become completely different animals when they get to Washington. I'm almost at the point where I'm ready to give up on politics altogether

HereSince1628

(36,063 posts)
12. Yes, lying is bad, so is the hyperbolizing of fear; the former is often done for the later
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 08:55 AM
Sep 2014

And it's done by the leadership of institutions that were established to inform the executive and to defend the nation.

The fear-mongering intelligence divisions of HSD, DoD, and the National Security Apparatus have lost them all credibility because it is so clear that they market in fear to justify their bloated existence.

Is there any part of "IS/ISIL has taken control of oil refineries and is selling oil products for millions of dollar per day" that looks like a similar threat to those who sought to take us to war in 2003?

Average Americans don't give a crap about war for oil. Fear-mongering is the only way to get us there. We couldn't bomb a few months ago, we needed fear to soften us up. The message COULD NOT have been about hundreds of raped and murdered women and children... after more than a decade of war Americans are sort of callous about dead foreigners. So, they waited and were rewarded with an opportunity to put out really big fear of big knives and cut-throats wielding them coming home on American passports. And with all that money they have...well let's just say it's not going to be about beheading when it does (cue image of radiation symbol and smoke--representing a dirty bomb-spreading through an urban canyon).

Now that it's begun, the war and the message can be shifted around. That's happening and it will continue until the fear is once again replaced by fatigue.

 

morningfog

(18,115 posts)
7. I've noticed a real dearth of the chest thumpers
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 08:30 AM
Sep 2014

Recently. It seems like a lot were supporting the idea, but can't really defend the reality.

 

whistler162

(11,155 posts)
11. Ah another Variety/Enquirer writer
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 08:55 AM
Sep 2014

looking for work. Flashy headline with no facts to back it up. Instead of "8 questions to ask President Obama about the conflict against ISIL/ISIS." the "writer" at the Guardian decided to take the lazy way out.

 

cali

(114,904 posts)
13. whatever that means. Uh, no. Of course you war supporters cheering this on
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 10:17 AM
Sep 2014

can NEVER address the actual facts, such as those in this piece. C'mon, if you're just soooo brilliant, why not give it the old college try. All you can do is natter about how you don't like the title. Btw, you don't seem to know that most often editors title pieces, not the writers. And how cute of you to put writer in quotes. Guess what? He's a published writer even if you don't like that FACT.

KG

(28,749 posts)
9. obama is obviously the greatest president in the history of the universe. who are we as mere mortals
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 08:40 AM
Sep 2014

to question?

indepat

(20,899 posts)
14. It's hunky-dore because the Bush cabal codified pre-emptive wars of aggression and the BHO
Sun Sep 28, 2014, 10:51 PM
Sep 2014

administration has ratified most of junior's prerogatives and initiatives?

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