Timing is everything
I started reading The National Security Strategy of The United States of American 03/06. The very first line, really the first line of before the table of contents:
My Fellow Americans,
American is at war. This is a wartime national security strategy required by the grave challenge we face. …
As I have stated before, we are not at war,
To be considered “wartime” a declared state of war would have to exist.
The Constitution gives only Congress the authority to declare war.
Congress has declared no war (a resolution to use force is not a declaration of war).
Then we have this jewel:
Administration Oversight
President May Have Known of Constitutional Defect Before Bill Signing
Wednesday, March 15, 2006 — Rep. Waxman asks the White House to respond to information that the Speaker of the House called President Bush to alert him that the version of the Reconciliation Act he was about to sign differed from the version that passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Waxman writes: “If the President signed the Reconciliation Act knowing its constitutional infirmity, he would in effect be placing himself above the Constitution.”Experts Agree: Budget Bill Not Valid Law (pdf)
Letter to the White House (pdf)
It appears that once again our President has decided the Constitution does not apply to him.
“The Presentment Clause of the U.S. Constitution states that before a bill can become law, it must be passed by both Houses of Congress. When the President took the oath of office, he swore to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States,” which includes the Presentment Clause. .”
-excerpt from letter
If the President was informed by Hastert that he was signing an incorrect version of the bill and Bush unconstitutionally signed it anyway it is just one more stike against the separations of powers. Bush, once again ignoring the Constitution. Article I, Section 7
I now ask why ” Operation Swarmer” — aimed to clear ”a suspected insurgent operating area” was launched now.
“The name Swarmer was derived from the name given to the largest peacetime airborne maneuvers ever conducted, in spring 1950 in North Carolina. Soon after this exercise, the 187th Infantry was selected to deploy to Korea as an Airborne Regimental Combat Team to provide General MacArthur with an airborne capability.”
COMBINED PRESS INFORMATION CENTER BAGHDAD , Iraq
703.270.0320 / 0299
March 16, 2006
Release A060316c
Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition launch Operation Swarmer
Point to ponder:
The launch of Operation Swarms timing with:
- the announcement of the new security strategy that reaffirms the pre-emptive strike policy
- the first session of Iraq’s new Parliament
As the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq nears I wait for the next chapter.