Why didn't the Republican controlled Congress declare war on Iraq?

Answer 1

Throughout USA history, Congress only has a history of declaring was when we have been directly provoked. IE, WW2 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

We did not delcare war in Korea or Vietnam for either of those long term wars.

Also some might argue that by not declaring war, a technical 'out' is created in avoiding the Hague conventions. Hague convention is basically what governs international law to include defining war crimes within the Geneva Convention.

Answer 2

Because many Republican Congressmen are sane. Going into Iraq was an ill-considered, potentially disastrous course of action, and lots of people said that at the time. The purpose of the military is to kill people and destroy property, it is the function of the Civilian leadership to select targets whose destruction will further U.S. interests. The only achievable military objective in Iraq was the removal from power of Saddam Hussein, which was achieved quickly and with no problems. Bush, however, then left them over there without a military objective. You can't impose democracy on people by force. Regional hatreds going back centuries are not going to go away just because one man is gone, we created a power vacuum and Iraq is heading toward a Civil War as competing factions rush to fill it. Worse, our troops are stuck in the middle with no end in sight. Bush, himself, has said we shouldn't expect our troops to withdraw before 2009. People from both parties, including the President's father, all foresaw this before the first deployment, a declaration of war would have given legal validity to Bush's adventurism.

Answer 3

A formal declaration of war is very significant, and creates a wartime status that affects hundreds of other statutory provisions.

Since there was no need to do so, and since the authorization for the use of military force allowed most of what Bush wanted, the formal declaration of war would have been overkill.

Answer 4

More importantly, why is it that in the past if a war was so important the government raised taxes to pay for it? The Bush Administration has not done that in this case, is the "war on terror" not as important as their wealthy donors almighty dollars?

Answer 5

The president did not seek a declaration of war ...he wants to keep it open -ended for the financiers of aggression...those who profit from it.