IN THE NEWS - Rules on Making War

IN THE NEWS -August 31, 2002: Rules on Making War

By Caty Weaver¹

Saddam Hussein
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program In The News.

American officials and the public are debating if the United States should take
military action against Iraq. Officials say Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is
expanding his biological and chemical weapons program and seeking to build
nuclear weapons. President Bush says he must be removed from power.

There is support for action against Iraq among most leaders of Mister Bush抯
Republican Party and many Democrats². Yet some of them say the United States
should not act alone. Leaders of many countries have expressed concern about the
possibility of an attack by the United States.

The Bush administration claims it already has Congressional permission to go into Iraq. It says a resolution
passed by Congress in nineteen-ninety-one approving the Persian Gulf³ War is still in effect.

However, some political experts and members of Congress say new congressional approval would be required for
military action against Iraq. On Thursday, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy, called
for Congress to debate and vote before any possible military action. He said the United States Constitution
demands it and the American people expect it.

Article One of the Constitution gives the legislature of the United States government the power and right to
declare war. Article Two makes the president the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. So, Congress is
responsible for declaring war and the president is responsible for carrying it out.

In ninety-seventy-three, Congress passed a law linked to those parts of the Constitution. It is called the War
Powers Act. It says the president must tell Congress when he deploys⁴ troops into areas where hostile actions are
probable. The same law orders the president to withdraw troops within sixty days unless Congress declares war,
approves the military action, or extends the time limit.

In nineteen -seventy-five, Gerald Ford⁵ became the first president to use the War Powers Act. He sent troops to recapture
an American transport ship captured by the Khmer Rouge⁶ of Cambodia. He took quick and limited
military action against Cambodia and reported to Congress about it as required.

Since then, other presidents have taken military action without following the War Powers Act. For example,
President Reagan sent troops to assist Kuwaiti ships during the Iran-Iraq war in nineteen-eighty-seven. He said
that action did not require use of the law.

On Thursday, Vice⁷ -President Dick Cheney said that President Bush understands the importance of public and
congressional support for any military action. He said Mister Bush would seek some kind of congressional
approval for action in Iraq if he decides it is necessary.

This VOA Special English program In The News was written by Caty Weaver. This is Steve Ember.

Email this article to a friend

Printer Friendly Version

1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 deploys   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的第三人称单数 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• It then deploys "decoy" programs designed to attract the virus. 然后，它释放“诱饵”去吸引病毒。
• But when that doesn't work, he deploys his secret defense mechanism. 但没有效果，它要施展绝密自卫武器了。

5 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

6 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。