It doesn't matter if a war is declared or undeclared - war crimes are war crimes. (Although I don't think that Bush should be prosecuted for war crimes. He started an unnecessary war and managed it poorly, but that's basically it.) - sebmos

Wouldn't happen. Obama is about "turning the page:" he can easily accomplish what he wants to do by simply saying "that was then, this is now." - Mark Trapp

If there is no war, then there is no "war crime." There may be crimes, but calling them "war crimes" means you are acknowledging a war that was never legally declared. And, IMO, Congress is more to blame for the "war" than Bush. They abdicated their Constitutional authority to declare war and gave the executive branch a blank check. - Kenneth LeFebvre

I'm sorry, but this is a war, and every organization will recognize that. Nobody cares that Congress didn't declare the war. The Vietnam war was a war, too, even though it wasn't declared. :: You can blame Congress for war, sure. But war itself isn't unlawful (weird, I know), and they didn't abdicate anything. Not Congress is the Commander in Chief, it's the president. It's not like this was different before the war on Iraq. - sebmos

If Bush is fair game for impeachment, so is just about every Senator and Represntative, because they all--nearly every one of them--bought the intelligence that numerous heads of state believed. The failure for going to war does not lie at Bush's feet. The failure of management is a different story; however, he's done nothing impeachable there. Yes, he's mismanaged it, but not any worse than LBJ did Viet Nam. Well, actually, the proof is in the pudding; LBJ did far worse at managing Viet Nam than Bush has Iraq. - Gregory Pittman via twhirl

I think we missed the boat on this one don't you think? I mean, he did what he did and you RE-ELECTED for crying out loud! So I don't think you can now sit here and talk about impeachment for war crimes! - Mark O'Neill

War crimes trials for all the key ringleaders of the Iraq War are in order, as well as the repeal of all neocon-engineered police state legislation enacted during the last eight years. We need to restore American democracy and fundamental constitutional principles. We also need a radical reorientation of American foreign policy around the American interest. - Sean McBride

Sean, and what candidate in the current race proposes to do that? BHO is nothing short of socialist (on the domestic policy front), and is far more interested in making friends out of enemies and making enemies out of friends on the international front. Not exactly centered "around the American interest" I'd say. McCain isn't much better, except on national security issues. At least we would be safe with JSM as President. - Gregory Pittman via twhirl

Sebmos: Congress is the ONLY authority legally allowed to declare war. The President is not allowed to do so, not withstanding his position as CINC once the war has been declared. Yes, they did abdicate their authority by delegating the authority to go to war to Bush. - Kenneth LeFebvre

Gregory: I can't imagine a policy more destructive to the American interest than getting bogged down in a holy war with the world's one billion plus Muslims -- our economic competitors in Europe, China and India would rejoice. But this is precisely the policy which John McCain's neoconservative advisers are pushing. - Sean McBride

Sean, I'm not disagreeing that war--in hindsight--was a bad idea. And, yes, it has been mismanaged. But, now that we're there, anything other than outright victory will leave us vulnerable for decades, even centuries, to come. I also find a lot of hypocrisy in tthe argument against the Iraq war. Countries were skewered for remaining silent on Darfur. But we intervene in a very similar circumstance (mass genocide by the country's leaders) in Iraq and we still get skewered. All of this has far more to do that an (R) gets appended to Bush's name than anything else. Had Clinton started this, there would be an eery silence. - Gregory Pittman via twhirl

Amen to Victor Ganata - Krish

Gregory: smart actors on the world stage know when to cut their losses -- they don't drive on further into the drink, like Hitler in Russia. We've dumped several trillions of dollars down the drain in Iraq with the result of greatly worsening our strategic situation in the Middle East. McCain's neoconservative advisers are prodding and goading him to escalate a ruinous policy, one which may well lead to the economic destruction of the United States. Are you prepared to live with $10 a gallon gas or worse? Can you imagine the effects of that development on the quality of life of most Americans? - Sean McBride

Sean: I doubt if your european economic competitors would rejoice about a holy war - we would probably get dragged into it. The world is unstable enough as it is without furthering this economic/idealogical war...I think most of europe is hoping for an obama win - I think that will be in all our interest - David W

US Presidents who have fought wars without a declaration of war? EVERY president since Truman, with the possible exception of Carter. Speakers of the House who have allowed this? All of 'em. - Ontario Emperor via fftogo

Ontario: true... but isn't "change" what everyone's asking for? - Kenneth LeFebvre

Sean, the price of gas has nothing--nothing whatsoever--to do with the war in Iraq. To argue that point is naive at best. The price of gasoline is due to failed energy restrictions on the homefront. Who has espoused such policies? Obama and those who think like him. They're wrong on the issue. They've always been wrong. I would much rather pay $10/gallon (won't happen though) than worry that at any moment I may be faced with a car bomb as I walk into a store. We will be fighting this war for the foreseeable future; I would much rather fight it over there than here. - Gregory Pittman via twhirl

I find American politics hysterical at times. Both sides using fear to intimidate the other and both sides overreacting and blowing things out of proportion. Makes it far more exciting than Canadian politics, that's for sure. - Shey

For the impact of the Iraq War on oil prices, simply do a Google search on [iraq war oil prices] and browse the top few dozen results among 14,000,000. Every time an Israeli government official or American neoconservative threatens to attack Iran, oil prices skyrocket again -- full details available with a Google search or two. Latest news today: a large number of oil contracts are being issued by the new Iraqi government to non-American companies -- some of them our most powerful economic competitors. Our current Mideast policies can most charitably be described as self-destructive -- we are making enemies of key oil-producing states. - Sean McBride

QUOTE Oil prices rose more than $3 yesterday amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.... “The petroleum markets rebounded ... on worries that Israeli military exercises held in the first week of June might have been preparation for a strike against Iranian nuclear facilities,” said Tim Evans, energy analyst for Citi Futures Perspective in New York. Energy experts are concerned any conflict in Iran could lead to a shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway separating Iran from the Arabian Peninsula, through which roughly 40% of the world’s traded oil is shipped. - Sean McBride

Sean, I've no one in the States threaten to attack Iran. In fact, the Bush Administration has said it has no plans to do so. So your argument that such threats cause the cost of oil to skyrocket is nothing more than a straw man. Try again. Other countries (namely China) are surging in their demand for oil. Supply doesn't match demand. This is where the Democrats' energy policies fail. We're sitting on top of our own energy future. It's like telling a bucnh of hungry kids, "There's food in the pantry but we can't eat it so you have to stay hungry." Inexcusable. - Gregory Pittman via twhirl

Did we REALLY start a comment thread based on the pontifications of a JOURNALIST? So if Susan Estridge gets on Fox News tomorrow and says "If Obama wins he is going to nuke Idaho" you will all join me in denouncing Obama's "new position" on wiping Idaho off of the map even though he never articulated it himself? from the articles comment section: "Code to nation: Elect John McCain or I’ll start another freaking war!" and yet NO WHERE in the article Was Bush or any of his staff ever quoted affirming this. - Marco

The best way to deal with Bush is by letting him fade into history. Anything like impeachment will make him a martyr among the fundamentalist fools. - Krish

@Gregory: well, well, said. I like the statement of Rep. Markey (D) who said that it's a sad day in American history when we have to go begging Saudi Arabia to increase their production. As if, somehow, his party is not culpable in turning the US into an energy beggar. - Craig Eddy

"I would much rather fight it over there than here." Why do people keep repeating this nonsense? What is it about "fighting them over there" that makes them unable to fight us "over here?" - David Worrell

Gregory: there has been relentless and conspicuous pressure coming from neoconservatives closely associated with the Bush 43 administration to expand the Iraq War to Iran. See most recently remarks by Daniel Pipes and William Kristol on the subject, as well as by Norman Podhoretz and many other neocons. Whenever they imply that they they have inside information about a coming attack, and speak in the mainstream media, they are pushing the price of oil upwards. This has all been well-documented -- Google it. Financial speculators are betting on them being right. If the war actually happens (even if only Israel attacks), the price of oil will go through the roof. - Sean McBride

It's a shame that you can't turn it on and off as you want., This means I will use FB even less, only when I want to chat, and use FF even more! - Arnaud Fischer

do we know which networks they are switching it on? - Nicole Simon

I've been playing with it... I'm in a few school networks and Chicago, IL - greg brown