Dear Teeming Millions:
Has the United States government officially declared war on the Taliban or Osama Bin Laden? If not, why?
Dear Teeming Millions:
Has the United States government officially declared war on the Taliban or Osama Bin Laden? If not, why?
Please see the earlier thread Why hasn’t Congress declared War?
Well, we generally declare war on other nations. Al-Qaeda is not a nation, despite the fact that they have a controlling interest in Afghanistan. And from this point forward, the United States is going to make certain that no nation openly harbors this organization, as the Taliban did in Afghanistan.
An often-used term for this sort of situation, where a nation is attacked by a group of people who don’t necessarily come from any one other nation, is asymmetric warfare, and it’s a bitch for a relatively law-abiding country like the United States to deal with.
I’m glad I don’t have the job of figuring out who to fight, because right now I don’t have enough fingers on my hands to point at the countries that deserve to get beat down for tacitly supporting this sort of bullshit. But when you have the Crystal Palace and a warehouse full of guns and your enemies have hovels and a handful of rocks, well, you sort of have to expect this sort of thing to happen eventually.
Here’s the text of the resolution passed by Congress authorizing the use of force. It is not a declaration of war, but seeing as how it pretty much gives Dubya carte blanche a declaration is hardly needed.
WOW, MEBuckner! Thank you kindly!
Could it a difference in Veterans benefits, if war is not offically declared???
Sofa King, thanks for the “asymmetric warfare” explanation!
Otto, bless you! You people are wonderful! Thank you!!!
From 38 U.S.C. 101 (Title 38–Veterans’ Benefits; Definitions):
The Mexican border period (“the period beginning on May 9, 1916, and ending on April 5, 1917, in the case of a veteran who during such period served in Mexico, on the borders thereof, or in the waters adjacent thereto”), Korean conflict, Vietnam era, and Persian Gulf War were all undeclared wars, but have been deemed to be “periods of war” for the purposes of computing veterans’ benefits. It occurs to me there were quite a few other actions taken by the U.S. military forces during the 20th Century (I thought of the Phillipine Insurrection, but I see that was included in the Spanish-American War, along with the Boxer Rebellion; and the U.S. intervention against the Bolsheviks is included with World War I), and I think some of those guys may have gotten shafted. (What about the assorted Central American and Caribbean interventions?) However, while it appears that such things have to be officially designated by Congress, I would be somewhat surprised if the current action doesn’t wind up getting such a designation, especially if we send in major ground troops and/or take serious casualties.
Wisconsin is in the process of, or has perhaps already passed I’ve lost track, a bill that gives some special benefits (job preferences, rehire guarantees and I think unemployment benefits) to any Wisconsinite who serves during “Operation Enduring Freedom” (exact wording).
Hooooooray for Wisconsin! And for you to, Otto! Thank you so much for your timely responses!!!