Col. Bob Pappas, USMC, (Ret)

Wartime Responsibility

Thu Oct 18 23:40:27 2001


Wartime Responsibility

by Col. Bob Pappas, USMC, (Ret)

President Bush has properly declared that we are at war,
but there is a little problem, he has not asked the
Congress, that branch of government vested by the
Constitution with the responsibility for such a
declaration, to do so. That mistake will come back to haunt
him unless he corrects the error. If the Congress allows
this to go forward without a formal declaration, it denies
the American people their Constitutional rights and is an
abrogation of their responsibility; it limits the
President's freedom of action; and it ultimately
politicizes the entire imbroglio..." from "Velvet Hawk."

There was a recent article stating that Congress has no
stomach for a declaration of war, another article made
reference to "Bush's war;" just as this writer alluded
above. What is this? Does the Congress now want to
distance itself from this act of war against the US and
against US sovereignty? Do they believe that they have no
responsibility pertaining to the events of 11 September,
2001 beyond a resolution and formation of an Office of
Homeland Security, and that this "war" is a matter for the
Executive Branch? Give US a break!

It is becoming increasingly evident that Arab states, Saudi
Arabia, Egypt, Syria and others are embarking on a campaign
of opportunism, or veiled support of Bin Laden, to change
long standing US policy toward the existence of Israel and
its sovereignty. When Mayor Giuliani of New York refused
Prince Prince Alwaleed bin Talal's, of Saudi Arabia, 11
million dollar attempt to "bribe" the Mayor into
influencing a change in US policy in relation to Israel,
that was a stellar moment. But, it didn't take long for
some members of Congress to condemn Giuliani for doing so.
How inane!

Is the United States at war, or is this another laughable
"War on Drugs?" The difference is that where drugs hurt,
terrorism of the ilk perpetrated on "9/11" will kill. Do
liberals in Congress and other politically correct
"worshipers" believe that the solution has its roots in Bin
Laden's unhappy childhood, that he should be sent to
counseling twice weekly? This writer believes in being
chartible, that we individually and collectively should
love and pray for our enemies, but this is about national
survival and the kind of counseling that Bin Laden and
others, including those countries that are like-minded,
that shelter or export terrorism should have is permanent
counseling by their father, Satan, in hell.

This is serious, this is no time for political
gamesmanship, it's time for Congress to step up to the
plate and assume its "wartime" responsibility.

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