The panel proposed a new law -- the "War Powers Consultation Act" -- that would require the president to consult with Congress before deploying U.S. troops into "significant armed conflict," defined as combat operations lasting, or expected to last, more than a week. Full Story »
Posted by Chris Finnie
Cornwell does an excellent job of presenting a complex subject simply. While the Constitution clearly says only Congress can declare war, and it's then up to the president to manage it, a lot of gray areas have come up over the years. Can you declare war on a government you don't recognize, like the Taliban? Or a non-state actor like Al-Queda? How exactly do you define "war"? Most of the armed conflicts in my lifetime never had a formal war declaration, but were multi-national "police actions" through the UN or NATO. While this panel clearly agrees these and other questions need to be addressed, Cornwell outlines some of the issues with their proposed solution--providing welcome context to the panel's report.
