# Declaration of WAR??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354 "2001-11-09T04:00:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SRB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SRB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SRB)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/1 "2001-11-09T04:00:55Z")
Dear Teeming Millions: Has the United States government officially declared war on the Taliban or Osama Bin Laden? If not, why? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/2 "2001-11-09T04:05:57Z")
Please see the earlier thread [Why hasn’t Congress declared War?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=94341) ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/3 "2001-11-09T04:13:09Z")
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](http://www.emergency.com/asymetrc.htm), 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. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/4 "2001-11-09T04:17:44Z")
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. > [@](#): > > Whereas, on Sept. 11, 2001, acts of despicable violence were committed against the United States and its citizens; and > Whereas, such acts render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad, and > Whereas, in light of the threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by these grave acts of violence, and > Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, > Whereas the president has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States. > Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, > Section 1. Short Title > This joint resolution may be cited as the “Authorization for Use of Military Force” > Section 2. Authorization for Use of United States Armed Forces > (a) That the president is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons. > (b) War Powers Resolution Requirements > (1) Specific Statutory Authorization – Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution. > (2) Applicability of Other Requirements – Nothing in this resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution. ---
**Author:** ![SRB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SRB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SRB)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/5 "2001-11-09T04:20:30Z")
WOW, MEBuckner! Thank you kindly! ---
**Author:** ![Vinnie471](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de053/32.png) [@Vinnie471](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vinnie471)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/6 "2001-11-09T04:24:43Z")
Could it a difference in Veterans benefits, if war is not offically declared??? ---
**Author:** ![SRB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SRB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SRB)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/7 "2001-11-09T04:27:12Z")
Sofa King, thanks for the “asymmetric warfare” explanation! Otto, bless you! You people are wonderful! Thank you!!! ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/8 "2001-11-09T04:56:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Vinnie471 \* > Could it a difference in Veterans benefits, if war is not offically declared??? From [38 U.S.C. 101](http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/38/101.html) (Title 38–Veterans’ Benefits; Definitions): > [@](#): > > The term ‘‘period of war’’ means the Spanish-American War, the Mexican border period, World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam era, the Persian Gulf War, and the period beginning on the date of any future declaration of war by the Congress and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or concurrent resolution of the Congress. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/9 "2001-11-09T05:59:51Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![SRB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SRB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SRB)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaration-of-war/92354/10 "2001-11-10T01:36:33Z")
Hooooooray for Wisconsin! And for you to, Otto! Thank you so much for your timely responses!!!