Bill to Prevent Preemptive US War on North Korea
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
North Korea threatens no other nations. US claims otherwise are Big Lies.
Provocative US saber-rattling continues. Three aircraft carrier groups were deployed near North Korean waters, involved in military exercises.
Pyongyang called them preparation for war. USS supercarrier Theodore Roosevelt’s commanding officer Capt. Carlos Sardiello said “(w)hen a carrier leaves on deployment, we have to be ready for anything.”
America faces no threats except invented ones, used as pretexts for naked aggression, raping and destroying one country after another.
Is North Korea next on Washington’s target list? Congressional Dems introduced legislation to prevent Trump from launching preemptive war on the country.
On October 26, Rep. John Conyers and Senator Edward Markey introduced the No Unconstitutional Strike Against North Korea Act of 2017 – “To prohibit the introduction of the Armed Forces into hostilities in North Korea without a declaration of war or explicit statutory authorization, and for other purposes.”
The measure has no co-sponsors, 61 supporters, including two Republican House members, no GOP senators, the bill dead on arrival.
Stating “(t)he President is currently prohibited from
initiating a war or launching a first strike without congressional approval under the Constitution and Federal law” fails to explain only Security Council members can authorize war – not the president or Congress without their OK.
The measure is well-intended but futile, Conyers saying:
“As a veteran of the Korean war, I am ashamed that our commander-in-chief is conducting himself in a reckless manner that endangers our troops stationed in South Korea and our regional allies.”
Conyers should know Harry Truman was just as reckless, launching naked US aggression on North Korea in June 1950, killing millions of its people, turning the nation to rubble.
Markey said “President Trump’s provocative and escalatory rhetoric, with threats to unleash ‘fire and fury’ and ‘totally destroy’ North Korea, cannot be allowed to turn into reality.”
“As long as President Trump has a Twitter account, we must ensure that he cannot start a war or launch a nuclear first strike without the explicit authorization of Congress.”
Both congressional members ignored other US war theaters, endless naked aggression against nations threatening no one.
Virtually no one in Congress has courage enough to stand against America’s permanent war agenda, including its empire of bases and trillions of dollars spent on militarism and belligerence at a time no US enemies exist.
Washington bears full responsibility for tensions on the Korean peninsula, threatening Pyongyang, rejecting dialogue to resolve contentious issues, spoiling for a fight – possible catastrophic nuclear confrontation if launched.
Former Defense Secretary William Perry warned about stumbling into war with the DPRK, making it think a “decapitation strike” is imminent.
On Wednesday, Dem Senator Chris Murphy said he and two other Senate Dems will introduce legislation to prevent Trump from preemptively attacking North Korea without congressional approval, tweeting:
“I will intro bill w brianschatz & CoryBooker to prohibit any preemptive action w/o vote by Congress” – referring to Senators Brian Schatz and Cory Booker.
Murphy urged Republicans to back the measure to constrain Trump’s “most dangerous power to make war.”
Beginning on November 3 (through the 14th), Trump will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.
He’ll try pressuring China to isolate North Korea more than already, a goal he won’t achieve.
Beijing is Pyongyang’s major ally. It wants the country kept from collapsing.
Above all, it wants war on the Korean peninsula avoided. If the DPRK is preemptively attacked, it promised to support the country, how unclear.
VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home – Stephen Lendman). Contact at [email protected].
My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."
