Senate Needs to Confirm Obama/Karzai Pact?

Great Debates
1

Listening to the speech tonight, where Obama talks about signing a pact with Hamid Karzai for the future of U.S./Afghan military cooperation.

Is this a “Treaty?” Does the Senate need to confirm it? If not, where is the dividing line between a pact and a treaty? Has the Supreme Court given guidelines on this?

If it does require approval, will the Republicans fight it? Or will they go along with it, perhaps with some grumbling? It doesn’t seem like there is anything in it to oppose. Romney has basically said he agrees (with some reservations.)

2

According to the Tribune syndicate (Chicago Tribune & LA Times), it’s a “strategic agreement,” falls short of a formal treaty, and does not require senate ratification. This is probably due to the fact that it doesn’t bind the US to very much in the way of concrete actions, dollar amounts, or troop numbers.