17. Oktober 2002

US Prepares For Overt War, Ignores UN Process - Bush Signs War Powers Into Law

Yesterday President Bush signed into law the resolution passed by the U.S. Congress, giving the executive branch a "Gulf of Tonkin-like" permission slip to engage in unilateral war. This, despite massive protests through regular channels and civil disobedience throughout the country, continent and the world.

Before this resolution was even signed into law, planning, support and command staffs were ordered moved to the nations of Kuwait and Qatar, on the Arabian Peninsula. 20,000 troops and several aircraft carriers are stationed around the region and the United States is building full military bases for long-term occupation in nations outside of Saudi Arabia.

In recent days the U.S. has stepped up bombing it has engaged in for the past decade since the so-called end of the last Gulf War. Targets now include elements of civilian infrastructure that have possible "dual-use" purposes. Already, purposeful targetting, admited by the United States, is affecting the civilian population of Iraq. This on top of a decade of sanctions and errant bombs in Operation Desert Storm and the bombing continuing out of it, justified by the U.S. as how they interpreted "enforcement" of U.N. resolutions.