[Mike Darancette]

You declare war against all known terrorist organizations. And you name them by name. And you announce that you will have no regard for the borders or governments of the countries that house them, and refuse to turn them over.

I'm not sure that this would be Constitutional. A declaration of war should be specific, not just against "Bad Guys" the world over.

But I saw that the Congress is talking about passing a "Declaration of Unity" pleeze, just shut up and send some wet operatives over to interview some of these bastards.

[ValerieUSA]

Americans need to drop our notions of civilization and virtue and innocence when dealing with the lesser peoples inhabiting the terrorist world. That world, like ours, includes businessmen, soldiers, housewives, and children - but they are not like us.

They haven't been trained in political correctness and tolerance, they never pray for peace, they don't love their enemy. They are the embodiment of HATRED. They speak the language of hate 24/7, they pray for the death of their enemies and they cheer violence, offering their children as martyrs.

We cannot apply our Constitutional rights to them. They don't want them. They want us to die. They want to celebrate carnage. Rights? They don't speak the language of rights unless they are making demands and telling lies.

I cringed every time I saw the Clintons make nice with Yassir Arafat and accept personal gifts from him and give over millions of American dollars to his people in exchange for a peace he would never deliver. By delaying the defeat of the people who hate America, we have left ourselves open to contempt and attack. There is no peace to be negotiated - there never was - there never will be.

When we fight against terrorism, as we must now, we will not fight for peace. We will fight for the annihilation of our enemy. There is a difference.

[LenS]

From the Constitution, Article I, Section 8 on the scope of legislative power (please note the bold areas that would apply to terrorists, the pirates of today one might argue):

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

[prambo]

Early in our history the US declared war against the "Barbary pirates" of North Africa. They were no less nebulous than today's, typical, scum-sucking Islamic terrorists.

prambo

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Article 1, Section 8. US Constitution

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

...To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

[ohioman]

Yes you can. We can declare war on terrorism and wherever that may be. Just as Thomas Jefferson did against the Barbary Pirates...hence the words "Shores of Tripoli."