A few weeks ago, under the leadership of President Bush, U.S. military forces again dropped bombs on the people of Iraq, purportedly to maintain strict control over the 10-year-old “no-fly zone” in Iraq. A couple of days ago, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell announced his support for easing the 10-year-old policy of economic sanctions against the Iraqi people, which was originally imposed by Bush’s father when he was president. Neither Bush (the son) nor Powell has bothered to explain the U.S. constitutional justification for either the embargo, which of course is an act of war under international law, or for the bombing. In fact, there has never been a constitutionally required declaration of war against Iraq, not even during the Persian Gulf War ten years ago. Saddam Hussein, of course, is every modern-day U.S. president’s favorite whipping boy, but isn’t it time for U.S. officials to start obeying the Constitution and quit behaving like tyrants? Moreover, don’t the Iraqi people have it bad enough under Saddam without Bush and Powell making their plight worse with bombs and embargoes?
The Continuing War With Iraq
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