Mark this day - May 23, 1999 - the 61st day of NATO's war on a sovereign country - Yugoslavia - which has done us no harm. May 23 may be remembered as another New Day of Infamy. For, on this Sunday, the U.S. Constitution and the American system of government and justice also became the trampled victims of a President who had sworn to protect them.
The War Powers Act of 1973, a Vietnam War-era legislation, requires the sitting President to get congressional approval for the "introduction into hostilities" of the U.S. armed forces for longer than a 60 days.
On Apr. 28, the House rejected Clinton's war on Yugoslavia by a tie 213-213 vote, and threw out the proposed declaration of war on Yugoslavia by an overwhelming 427-2 vote. On May 4, our sheepish and squeamish Senate voted not to vote. By a 78-22 vote, the Senators put aside indefinitely a resolution which would have allowed Clinton to use "all necessary force" in his undeclared war on Yugoslavia.
Finally, just this past week (May 19), the House Armed Services Committee voted to prevent Clinton from using any of next year's $289 billion defense budget for his war on Yugoslavia.
Today is Day 61 of Clinton's undeclared war on Yugoslavia hostilities. The President has not obtained congressional approval. From this day forward, this is not only an undeclared war; it is an ILLEGAL war, according to the U.S. laws and Constitution.
Members of the U.S. armed forces who continue to participate in Clinton's illegal war should understand that they are now executing UNLAWFUL orders. And that, therefore, they are Clinton's accessories, not only in his war crimes against Serb and other civilians, but also in his violations of our federal laws, of our Constitution, and of the will of the American people, as expressed by Congress.
Which means that the American soldiers participating from this day forward in this illegal war on Yugoslavia, and not just their Draftdodger-cum-Commander-in-Chief, one day may face prosecution. Under the U.S., not only international laws. If there is still such thing as justice and civilized behavior left in our country.
So mark this day, May 23, 1999. By repudiating Congress, and therefore, the will of the people, Bill Clinton has now also entered uncharted territory in the American history. By putting themselves above the law, the Presidents and his associates have now become outlaws. Will we, the American people, allow ourselves to be ruled by outlaws?
TiM Ed.: During the last 60 days, we have been blessed with many offers of help from the decent, God-fearing, patriotic Americans. Now we appeal to those among the TiM readers who are lawyers or legal scholars to help us draft the articles charging Bill Clinton with violations of the War Powers Act and the Constitution, and seeking a federal court order for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Balkans. Thank you.
To all my friends out there:
QPSAT (Quick Political Scholastic Aptitude Test) from The Liberator
This test consists of one (1) multiple-choice question (so you better
get it right!). Here's a list of the countries that the U.S. has
bombed since the end of World War II, compiled by historian William
Blum, author of "Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since
World War II."
China 1945-46
Korea and China 1950-53
Guatemala 1954
Indonesia 1958
Cuba 1959-60
Guatemala 1960
Congo 1964
Peru 1965
Laos 1964-73
Vietnam 1961-73
Cambodia 1969-70
Guatemala 1967-69
Grenada 1983
Lebanon 1983, 1984
Libya 1986
El Salvador 1980s
Nicaragua 1980s
Panama 1989
Iraq 1991-99
Kuwait 1991
Somalia 1993
Bosnia 1994, 1995
Sudan 1998
Afghanistan 1998
Yugoslavia 1999
Question: Counting all of these Acts of War (since WWII), how many times did Congress actually declare war,
thereby authorizing these attacks as Constitutional ?
Hint: (It's the same number as the answer below)
Question: In how many of these instances did a democratic government,
respectful of human rights, occur as a direct result of the U.S. intervention ?
Choose one of the following:
a. 0
b. zero
c. none
d. not a one
e. a whole number between -1 and +1
f. zip
g. zilch
h. never happened
DID YOU GET IT RIGHT ?