Thanks to U.S. Congress, Endless War Will... Not End

[JEB]

Attempt to repeal the 2001 authorization for a war with no apparent time or geographic limit fails in House of Representatives
by
Lauren McCauley, staff writer

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/05/18/thanks-us-congress-endless-war-will-not-end

An attempt to repeal the 2001 congressional authorization that provides the legal basis for the ongoing wars in both Afghanistan, Iraq, and the global war on terror was voted down by the House of Representatives on Wednesday night.

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Noting that the "U.S. mission in Iraq and Syria creeps closer and closer toward all-out war," Lee asks the following questions:

Since 1991, the U.S. has spent trillions of dollars, dropped hundreds of thousands of bombs and lost thousands of brave servicemen and women in Iraq. Do you feel any safer? Are we any safer?
The last four U.S. Presidents have bombed Iraq. Will Congress allow a fifth President the same blank check to continue this open-ended war?
How many Americans or associated military personnel are actually in Iraq and Syria? How many contractors? How many sneakers on the ground?
For 25 years, the Pentagon has pursued a “bombs, bombs, bombs” agenda in the Middle East. Why will it be successful this time? Why hasn’t the Pentagon made the case that more bombings will bring stability and security?
ISIL is an heir to Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Do we have a plan to support the needed political reforms in Iraq and Syria that will prevent an ISIL heir from emerging?
For months, the U.S. has been training and equipping different factions. Do we know who these individuals are? Can we guarantee that their training and new weapons won’t be used against U.S. troops or our interests? How much does this program cost?
In January, both Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell called for an AUMF debate and vote. Why have neither moved anything to the Floor? Why have they decided to take potshots at the President for their own inaction and inability to control their caucuses?

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As Timm notes, when it comes to the current war against ISIS, "Congress has shown itself to be cowardly in upholding its constitutional responsibility, content with the president taking all the blame when things go wrong."

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This, he concludes, has set a dangerous precedent for a country on the verge of an election between "an unpredictable maniac," referring to Donald Trump, and Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who "supported virtually every aggressive U.S. military action in the past 15 years and has already promised more military intervention than Obama."

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Read the rest of the article at:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/05/18/thanks-us-congress-endless-war-will-not-end

[JEB]

1. I guess this is just boring when

we can argue whether a chair was thrown or not.