Senator Says Congress Should 'Shut Up' on Imperialist War Against Libya

A demonstration against U.S. intervention in the North African nation of Libya was held at the Federal Bldg. in Detroit. The action was called by the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice (MECAWI) on March 11, 2011. (Photo: Abayomi Azikiwe), a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

US Senator: Congress should 'shut up'

Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:32AM

Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham calls on his fellow legislators at US Congress to “sort of shut up” and not interfere with US-led military operations in Libya.

"Congress should sort of shut up and not empower [Libyan leader Muammar] Qadhafi," Graham said on the nationally broadcast NBC TV's "Meet the Press" Sunday news show.

Graham said any efforts to debate President Barack Obama's decision to launch military air strike on Libya would play into the hands of Muammar Gaddafi and would only empower him, antiwar reported on Sunday.

This came after congressional critics of the move floated the possibility of defunding US military operations in Libya, or invoking the War Powers Act in order to put an end to the conflict there.

Last week, a bipartisan group of ten US Congressmen, led by Ohio Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich, filed a lawsuit charging President Obama waged an illegal war against Libya.

The War Powers Resolution passed by the US Congress in 1973 “gives the [US] president the power to use the US military for up to 60 days without seeking congressional authorization.

Obama's deadline to seek authorization from Congress was May 20. Even though his administration had insisted before this that the War Powers Act did apply, he changed course over the past week, insisting it is a special case.

NATO launched a major air campaign against forces of the Libyan regime in mid-March under a UN mandate to “protect the Libyan population.”

Had it not been for the NATO intervention, the Libyan conflict would be over, said Webster Griffin Tarpley, an author and historian in the State of Maryland, in a Press TV interview earlier in April.

Tarpley said that NATO claims it is carrying out the airstrikes to protect the civilians from massacres in Libya while it is actually killing both pro- and anti-government forces.

The United States, France, and Britain say they will not stop their military operation until Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi is removed from power.

Libyan rebels forces have also frequently criticized NATO for its failure to prevent Gaddafi's troops from killing civilians.