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2007-01-27 Home Front: Politix

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Posted by anonymous5089 2007-01-27 08:29|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Did Congress declare war on the Barbary Pirates? I would think this would be a fine precedent for dealing with "Iran".

Posted by Excalibur 2007-01-27 09:35|| 2007-01-27 09:35|| Front Page Top

#2 Bush's oath of office says "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Posted by DMFD 2007-01-27 10:45|| 2007-01-27 10:45|| Front Page Top

#3 #2, and the oath of office for the House and Senate have their respective members swearing the same things, but we see how well that ~~doesn't~~ work(s)! Maybe we can remove Representatives and Senators for failure to carry out their sworn duty.

Failing that, maybe we should just remove a few anyway! I got dibs on the two doofus's from MA.

Posted by Chuck Darwin 2007-01-27 11:19|| 2007-01-27 11:19|| Front Page Top

#4 I live in Minnesota so I got dibs on al-Ellison. If no one here is from Wisconsin, its close enough to me.

Posted by Mike N. 2007-01-27 13:18|| 2007-01-27 13:18|| Front Page Top

#5 Although Congress never voted on a formal declaration of war, they did authorize the President to instruct the commanders of armed vessels of the United States to seize all vessels and goods of the Pasha of Tripoli "and also to cause to be done all such other acts of precaution or hostility as the state of war will justify."

Posted by doc 2007-01-27 15:32|| 2007-01-27 15:32|| Front Page Top

#6 Thanks, Doc. This sounds not too far afield from the authority granted by Congress after 9/11.

Posted by Excalibur 2007-01-27 15:52|| 2007-01-27 15:52|| Front Page Top

#7 Doc-
Interestingly enough, as you mentioned Congress never actually did declare war, but Tripoli did:

Angered by delayed and undersized payments the Barbary State regents demanded more. The escalating situation was finally brought to a head by the Pasha of Tripolitania, Yusuf Karamanli. On May 14, 1801, he ordered the flag staff (flying the 'Stars and Stripes') standing in front of the US consulate to be cut down. This symbolic act was taken as a declaration of war against America.
http://africanhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa092001a.htm

What is it with these people and our embassies?

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2007-01-27 16:28|| 2007-01-27 16:28|| Front Page Top

#8 What is it with these people and our embassies?
lack of ability to project real power beyond their shores. Pussies. We need to make any attack on our embassies a REAL Act of War, contrary to Carter's and Clinton's policy. Declare it, even if it's not against a sovereign state (i.e.: Al Qaeda) thereby putting Congress on the spot to vote, and not letting them ankle-bite in the future. After all, an embassy (unlike unofficial Iranian "consulates") is sovereign soil

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-01-27 16:38|| 2007-01-27 16:38|| Front Page Top

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