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The Chicago TribuneUnder the War Powers Act, President Barack Obama had until Friday to get congressional authorization to continue U.S. military operations in Libya. But the day passed without his even asking for it, which means he has to disengage within 30 days. Obama may not heed that requirement either.Some members of Congress, from both parties, are unhappy about the administration's disregard of the law. Six Senate Republicans wrote him a letter asking if he plans to meet its terms, while
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, says he'll introduce a bill to invoke the law in an attempt to force withdrawal.Obama is on the horns of a dilemma. As a candidate, he said the president does not have the power to go to war on his own except in cases of actual or likely attack. But if he were to ask Congress to authorize the Libyan intervention, he would probably be rebuffed. So he's chosen to simply ignore the law.
But ignoring laws is not what presidents promise to do when they are sworn in. Unless Obama wants to make the case that it's unconstitutional, as some experts think, he should act (belatedly) to follow it or explain why the Libya operations don't qualify. The latter would be a stretch, but maybe Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants to elaborate on his theory that Libya is merely a "limited kinetic action," not a war.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-war-20110523,0,5044038.story