Israel launches attack on Iran | US bombs Iran nuke sites

Bobfripp said:
As to why the USA? It's the fact that B-2's and 30,000 lbs bunker bombs were needed, and that only the US possesses, is my understanding.
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Yeah, you’re probably right, and I figured that might be the case, but I also figured that perhaps we’d give Israel the MOAB and the ability to deliver it. Of course, perhaps it’s not that simple. That’s why I’m asking all these questions, just trying to learn and understand!
 
CFordUNC said:
Agreed. My concern is that it’s very easy to start a war, very difficult to end one, as we found out the hard way in Afghanistan and Iraq. It’s unlikely that this is the end and very likely this is only the beginning, as Iran is almost certain to most likely through their proxies. I’m glad that, presumably, their nuclear weapons capabilities have been destroyed or crippled. What I’m not glad about is the very real possibility that this escalates into a wide scale war.
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Iran also has robust cyber capabilities. I suspect conflict will escalate on that front as well.
 
Alright, forgive what is likely a dumb question but it’s been a little while since I took Civics. Does the president have Constitutional authority to unilaterally launch military strikes against other countries without Congressional approval?
 
p5mmr9 said:
There are valid arguments for a strategic strike against Iran's nuclear capabilities. The concern is that our current administration isn't very strategic and this could very well pull the USA into a broader conflict.
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Well, that and the fact that we have zero confirmation from anyone other than Bibi/Israel that Iran has any major nuclear capabilities.
 
I obviously do not like Donald Trump but in trying to remove my partisanship from the equation for a moment, and trying to look at this objectively, perhaps the calculus was that Iran is currently as weak as it has been in sometime and therefore now was a great time to exploit their weakness and deal their nuclear capabilities a crippling blow.
 
CFordUNC said:
Alright, forgive what is likely a dumb question but it’s been a little while since I took Civics. Does the president have Constitutional authority to unilaterally launch military strikes against other countries without Congressional approval?
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Short version - No, not offensively

The Congress won’t old anything about it, so as a practical matter, bomb away.
 
EyeballKid said:
Well, that and the fact that we have zero confirmation from anyone other than Bibi/Israel that Iran has any major nuclear capabilities.
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This is something I've been wondering about...everyone is just acting like it's self-evident. And maybe it is. But I'd like to see some credible confirmation of it. And I don't trust Bibi at all, and Israeli hardliners can all go jump off a cliff as far as I'm concerned.
 
CFordUNC said:
I obviously do not like Donald Trump but in trying to remove my partisanship from the equation for a moment, and trying to look at this objectively, perhaps the calculus was that Iran is currently as weak as it has been in sometime and therefore now was a great time to exploit their weakness and deal their nuclear capabilities a crippling blow.
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2 things:

1. As I just posted above, we have zero confirmation from anyone other than Bibi/Israel that Iran has anything close to nuclear capabilities. In fact, our own intelligence (though I use that word lightly, given Tulsi Gabbard is the lead of that intelligence) suggests that Iran is likely years away from any significant nuclear capabilities. And the international community charged with keeping tabs on Iran seems to agree with our assessment.

2. Bibi/Israel used us as a pawn to facilitate regime change in a nation that posed no imminent threat. That’s not a good look, and will likely cause more strife in the region.
 
CFordUNC said:
. Does the president have Constitutional authority to unilaterally launch military strikes against other countries without Congressional approval
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The Constitution divides war powers, giving Congress the power to declare war (Article I, Section 8) and designating the President as Commander-in-Chief (Article II). While the President can respond to attacks and imminent threats, the extent of presidential authority to unilaterally launch military strikes without Congressional approval is a subject to debate and legal interpretation.
 
CFordUNC said:
Alright, forgive what is likely a dumb question but it’s been a little while since I took Civics. Does the president have Constitutional authority to unilaterally launch military strikes against other countries without Congressional approval?
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No. The president doesn't.

But did you expect the current White House occupier to follow the Constitution this time?
 
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