The Fog of War

For five and a half years in the 1960s, I served as an Air Force Captain flying on B-52s. My service included three tours in Vietnam flying bombing runs. While the United States suffered casualties in the air war in Vietnam, and some of our best men ended up as prisoners of the communists, we generally had command of the skies.

U.S. forces dropped nearly 7 million tons of bombs during the course of the war, but at the end of the day South Vietnam fell. While air power was critical to the U.S. effort, it could not defeat the enemy alone.

Now our nation is part of a coalition engaging in the Libyan civil war. Our NATO partners and U.S. forces have bombed significant targets of Muammar Qadhafi’s forces and his command structure. However, it appears unlikely that he will give up the fight unless his ground forces are defeated by the rebels organized in the east of the country.

Last week, the House of Representatives voted on two resolutions regarding U.S. involvement in Libya. I voted for both of these measures.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) introduced the first, which declared that President Obama is in violation of the War Powers Resolution and that U.S. forces should disengage in 15 days. The second resolution was introduced by Speaker Boehner and called on the President to provide further information justifying our involvement and explaining how his actions comply with the War Powers Resolution. It also made clear that U.S. forces should not step foot in Libya unless they are rescuing pilots.

The stronger Kucinich resolution attracted bipartisan support, but was not passed by the House. Speaker Boehner’s resolution did pass overwhelmingly.

The War Powers Resolution was passed as our engagement in Vietnam was drawing to a close. Congress overturned President Nixon’s veto of the bill, which requires the President to report to Congress whenever he engages U.S. forces in combat. Congress must then authorize the use of forces within 60 to 90 days. If authorization is not given, the President must withdraw forces.

President Obama is acting contrary to the War Powers Resolution. Congress should approve what is clearly an act of war. I have grave concerns about the clarity and purpose of our mission in Libya.

The President sought the authorization of the United Nations rather than coming to Congress. UN Resolution 1973 allowed for the protection of civilians and established a no-fly zone. In recent weeks, the forces operating in Libya have used this mandate to bomb Qadhafi command centers, nearly killing him in one raid.

From the start, I was concerned that President Obama seemed more interested in UN authorization than Congressional authorization. Despite later controversies over the war in Iraq, the Senate and the House authorized the use of force against Saddam Hussein months before military action.

Months into this civil war, there are still serious questions about the Libyan rebellion. The Washington Post recently reported that rebels might be using some of the same tactics that Qadhafi used to rule Libya. Citizens have been detained without trial or charges. Some have been accosted and beaten in broad daylight.

We still don’t have assurances that Al Qaeda and other militant groups are not mixed in with the rebellion. Benghazi, the rebel capital, was known as a hotbed for Islamic radicals. Trading a brutal dictator for a regime with terrorist ties is not in our national interest.

I’m not opposed to people standing up to dictators and fighting for their freedom. Indeed, the American Revolution has been a model for the struggle toward freedom for countless nations. My principle concern is that we are engaged in an unclear conflict with unclear goals. Additionally, there is no end in sight for this engagement.

I know that the President does not want to place Americans in danger unnecessarily. What Congress needs from the President is strong leadership. If we cannot clearly articulate why we are Libya, and what success looks like, then perhaps we should not be there at all.

The Boehner resolution gives the President more time to make things clear. If he chooses to ignore the House, then I have no doubt that we will again consider a stronger resolution to remove U.S. forces from Libya.

Congressman Joe Pitts represents the 16th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

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