Iran War

The U.S. House of Representatives most recently passed a war powers resolution directing the President to end hostilities and withdraw military forces from Iran. Under the 1973 War Powers Act, the President can introduce U.S. Armed Forces into hostilities for up to 60 days without congressional authorization. One of the attacks that warranted a lot of attention was the accidental bombing of a girl’s school where 120 children were killed. On March 31, 2011 NATO forces led by the US began bombing Libya under the Responsibility to Protect doctrine. This is invoked when the security situation in a country remains fragile, compounded by economic mismanagement and arms proliferation. The doctrine posits that sovereignty implies a responsibility to protect populations from mass atrocities, and if a state is unwilling or unable to do so, that responsibility falls to the international community. The bombing continued for 220 days until the Gaddafi government was overthrown which led to a civil war and unrest in the country remains to this day. What happened to the policy if you break it, you own it? Estimates for the 2011 Libyan Civil War death toll range from 15,000 to 30,000 deaths across both anti-Gaddafi rebels and pro-regime forces. Congress never passed a formal authorization or declaration of war for the mission. Four times in the past ten years the people of Iran have taken to the streets to protest against their government and each time the protest met with a military response, the last time an estimated 30,000 civilians were killed. The difference between Obama’s foray into Libya and the present situation in Iran is that Obama used the cover of NATO and Trump chose to go it alone. NATO without the US is much like the UN, all bark and no bite. Diplomatic negotiations without the possibility of enforcement is a waste of time.