No permission needed?

At a press conference in Chile on Monday Obama gave no indication that he thought any congressional authorization was needed.

In his two major statements on Libya the president made only one passing reference to Congress, saying “I've acted after consulting with my national security team, and Republican and Democratic leaders of Congress.”

Obama’s stance is striking: not only hasn’t he addressed the question of congressional authorization, but acting without it appears to be at oddswith what he stood for when he ran for president.

“The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation,” Obama told the Boston Globe** in 2007.

Obama has not argued that Gadhafi is “an actual or imminent threat” to the United States, only to the Libyans who oppose him.

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*Col. – colonel

** the Boston Globe – the newspaper in Boston

I. Find the equivalents in the text:

Санкция Конгресса; предпринять военную наступательную операцию; свергнуть; официальный представитель администрации Буша; избежать прямого ответа; добиваться резолюции; позиция Обамы поразительна; войти в противоречие; разрешить в одностороннем порядке; непосредственная угроза.

Obama cites 'international legitimacy'

He argued that “the way that the United States took leadership and managed this process ensures international legitimacy.” Alluding to the Iraq war, he said “in the past there were times when the U.S. acted unilaterally or did not have full international support.”

He pledged that “we will not deploy any U.S. troops on the ground” and emphasized that the American role would be growing smaller “in a matter of days and not in matter of weeks” as other nations take part in enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.

He portrayed the relatively limited U.S. role as a cost-saving measure, saying that “our military is already very stretched” and argued that air strikes by France and other nations “relieves the burden on U.S. taxpayers.”

In a letter to congressional leaders Monday, Obama claimed that his actions in Libya "are in the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States, pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive."

He said he was giving Congress notice under the provisions of the 1973 War Powers Act.

But his letter didn't note that the 1973 law allows the president to use military force only when there is an attack on the United States or when Congress has voted to declare war or to authorize military operations.

Obama’s military offensive without congressional authorization raises familiar questions about when a president can and cannot order bombs to be dropped, missiles to be launched and troops to be landed on foreign soil.

II. Find the equivalents in the text:

Международный правопорядок; в считанные дни; зона, запрещенная для полетов; воздушный налет; облегчать бремя; в соответствии с конституционными полномочиями; Главнокомандующий; глава исполнительной власти; уведомить; в соответствии с положениями; закон о полномочиях в условии военного времени.

III. Answer the questions:

1) What do you know about Saddam Hussein?

2) What do you know about Col.* Moammar Gadhafi?

3) Who is Commander in Chief and Chief Executive in the USA? And in Russia?

4) What is the point of conflict between President Obama and Congress?

5) What do you think of the war in Libya and the ways to stop in?

Family

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