So how can we have a war in Iraq who have we declared war on?

Answer 1

We have not had a declared war since WWII. Dem. Harry Truman started that war and Rep. Dwight Eisenhower ended it.
It is a war because people get killed. WAR is Hell.
Dem.John Kennedy started a war with Cuba and then left the mercenaries without support. Kind of like what Clinton did in Somalia, only he did it with American troops!
Rep.Ronald Reagan invaded Communist Grenada and rescued American medical students and the country from Communism.
Rep.Ronald Reagan sold weapons to Iran to keep them fighting Iraq, then used the profits to fight Communism in Central America.
Rep.Ronald Reagan invaded Panama and arrested the Dictator and put him in prison for smuggling drugs.
Dem.Bill Clinton sent Americans to Somalia, failed to support them and got some killed.
Dem.Bill Clinton attacked Serbia without any allies and against the NATO Defense ONLY charter.
Dem.Bill Clinton sent troops to Haiti with no Haitian danger to the USA.
Dem.Bill Clinton bombed an aspirin factory in Sudan to get the news media off of his sexual harassment and rape allegations.
None of these had a formal declaration of war by Congress.
The President can do a lot without Congress, because he is charged by the Constitution to protect the country. Congress merely has to protect their special parking places at National Airport!

Answer 2

Only Congress has the power to declare war which they haven't done so therefore our presence in Iraq does not technically constitute a war. Our soldiers are there by Executive Order. Its the way the President bypasses Congress in order to fulfill his own objectives. Congress hsa tried to fight the use of Excutive Orders particularly in reference to the deployment of the US Armed Forces with the War Powers Resolution. See below for more in depth info.

Answer 3

Iraq:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-2.html

Answer 4

There can be military action without a declaration of war.
Declarations of War must be passed by Congress.
However, The President, as Commander-in-Chief can authorize the use of military force where he sees fit.
A war is a war, even without a Declaration.

Answer 5

It's quite possible to have a war without any formal declaration of war. Many wars have been fought without any declaration - eg the Falklands War in 1982 between the UK and Argentina was never fully declared. That didn't stop us working out who our enemies were or deciding what to do with prisoners of war or deciding when hostilities were over.

A war is a sustained period of combat between organised groups which are recognisably different from each other - nothing to do with declaring war on anyone in particular.

Answer 6

Congress authorized us to go to Iraq and use lethal force. The media is all big in calling it a war. The government calls it the war on terrorism.

Answer 7

the congress approved articles of war so that means we at war. problem is that all the objectives outlined in that declaration have been met and GWB has declared victory but we haven't left yet. seems like there's more to the agenda than we've been told.

Answer 8

Where is the war? Iraq - who are we fighting terrorist. Read the paper!

Answer 9

saddams "blowing off" of seventeen u.n. resolutions. the expultion of the i.a.e.c. the war is against a coward entity of radicals who kill more of their own than of US troops. no body ever said they were smart i guess. may the fleas of 1000 camels infest the armpits of our enemies mother.

Answer 10

I wonder why the president constantly refers to it as a war.

I think in addition to being inaccurate, it's counterproductive.