Tournament: tournament | Round: 1 | Opponent: Sacramento State Caliolio-Hampton-Bruce | Judge: Cooper
Plan
United States Congress should substantially increase statutory restrictions on the War Powers Authority of the President of the United States by amending Section 8, subpoint C of the War Power Resolution of 1973 to define “hostilities” as to mean a situation in which units of the U.S. armed forces are actively engaged in exchanges of fire with opposing units of hostile forces.
Solvency
Diplomatic solution in Syria will fail, Obama will strike Syria
Morgan 13
(Jamie Morgan is a lifelong Oak Parker. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in international relations at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Before coming to Princeton, Jamie spent five years working on national security policy in Washington D.C. and conducting research on U.S. government counterterrorism policies in Indonesia. “Yes vote needed on Syria strike,” Oakpark.com, September 17th, 2013, http://www.oakpark.com/News/Articles/9-17-2013/Yes-vote-needed-on-Syria-strike/ME)
Last week, President Obama asked Congress to delay voting on a military strike on
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by the War Powers Resolution — will not result in dysfunction and embarrassment.
Congress defining hostilities is key to solve.
Harvard Law Review, 2012
(“RECENT ADMINISTRATIVE INTERPRETATION: Separation of Powers - War Powers Resolution – Obama Administration Argues that U.S. Military Action in Libya Does Not Constitute "Hostilities."”, April, 125 Harv. L. Rev. 1546)
The War Powers Resolution n1 ("WPR" or "Resolution") requires the President
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it wishes to deny the executive the flexibility on which Koh's argument relied.
A BROAD DEFINITION IS THE BEST DEFINITION OF HOSTILITIES, THE WPR IS INSUFFICIENT
Morrison 11
(Trevor W. Morrison, Trevor Morrison, professor of law and co-director of the Roger Hertog Program on Law and National Security, one of the nation’s most respected experts on separation of powers, federalism, and executive branch legal interpretation. He served in the White House as associate counsel to the president in 2009
MARTIN RICHARD HOFFMANN graduated from the University of Virginia Law School, 1961; served as law clerk for Judge Albert V. Bryan, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, Alexandria, Virginia, 1961;1962; was assistant U.S. attorney, Washington, D.C., 1962;1965; was minority counsel, House Judiciary Committee, 1965;1966; served as legal counsel to Senator Charles H. Percy of Illinois, 1967;1969; was assistant general counsel and assistant secretary of University Computing Company, 1969;1971; was general counsel, Atomic Energy Commission, 1971;1973; was special assistant to the Secretary of Defense, 1973;1974; was general counsel of the Department of Defense, 1974;1975; served as Secretary of the Army, 5 August 1975;13 February 1977; under his direction the Army addressed the pervasive problems of post-Vietnam War readjustment.
Monroe Leigh, a leading authority in international and human rights law who was legal advisor to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and who served as president of the American Society of International Law
“Hostilities”, 1 JOURNAL OF LAW, 2011 (1 PUB.L.MISC.) 233, http://journaloflaw.us/120Pub.20L.20Misc./1-2/JoL1-2,20PLM1-2,20Morrison.pdf)
What does “hostilities” mean? The WPR itself does not define the term
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include “irregular or infrequent violence which may occur in a particular area.”
Congress will vote no on Syria strikes
AP 13
(The Associated Press, the world's oldest and largest newsgathering organization, “Obama: I might lose congressional vote on Syria,” The Associated Press, Sept. 17, 2013, http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/sep/17/us-united-states-syria/ME)
Battling stiff resistance in Congress, President Barack Obama conceded Monday night he might lose
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that Kerry was making an orchestrated effort with Russia to avoid the strikes.
Plan sets the precedent now is key time
Savage 13
(CHARLIE SAVAGE, Charles Savage is a Washington correspondent for The New York Times. He is known for his work on presidential power and other legal policy matters, “Obama Tests Limits of Power in Syrian Conflict,” The New York Times, September 8, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/world/middleeast/obama-tests-limits-of-power-in-syrian-conflict.html?pagewanted=alland_r=1andME)
WASHINGTON — In asking Congress to authorize an attack on Syria over claims it used
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previous president has gone, it seems appropriate to determine whether Congress concurs.”
Adv. 1 Russia
Russia relations on the brink
Rosenberg 13
(Steven Rosenberg, BBC News reporter in Moscow, “Syria crisis: Gauging Russia's reactions to strike scenario,” BBC News, 28 August 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-23865053ME)
There are two subjects Russians talk about a lot: history and geography. In
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Russians have not stopped arguing their case that military intervention would be wrong.
Attacks on Syria will draw in Russia
ABC 13
(American Broadcasting Corporation, American commercial broadcasting television network “Russia, West on collision course over Syria” ABC News, August 26, 2013, http://news.yahoo.com/russia-west-split-over-syria-hits-crisis-point-005828453.html)
Russia's two-and-a-half year dispute with the West over the
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al-Assad that it is not willing to surrender in a hurry.
US RUSSIA WAR GOES NUCLEAR
Baum 12
(Seth Baum is Executive Director of the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute, “Nuclear War Group Discusses Ongoing Risk Of US-Russia Nuclear War,” Global Catastrophic Risk Institute, 12/30/12, http://gcrinstitute.org/nuclear-war-group-discusses-ongoing-risk-of-us-russia-nuclear-war/)
Thursday 29 November, GCRI hosted the fourth of a series of discussions among a
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and inadvertent nuclear war. This is a project left for future research.
Nuclear war causes extinction
WICKERSHAM 11
(Bill Wickersham is a University of Missouri adjunct professor of Peace Studies and a member of The Missouri University Nuclear Disarmament Education Team, “Nuclear weapons still a threat,” http://www.columbiatribune.com/opinion/op-ed/nuclear-weapons-still-a-threat/article_9ad4a514-9bea-59d0-9921-11a70c967e16.html)
Nearly 20 years after the Cold War ended, humankind still faces the distinct possibility
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chronological account of many such incidents, go towww.nuclearfiles.org.¶
Adv. 2 Iran
A US military strike on Syria would lead to a retaliatory attack on Israel by Iran
New York Times 13
(Thomas Erdbrink, one of the few Western reporters accredited for U.S. media in the Islamic Republic of Iran, joined The Times in 2012 as Tehran bureau chief. He has carefully tracked Iran’s controversial nuclear program and the impact of international sanctions. “Strike on Syria Would Lead to Retaliation on Israel, Iran Warns,” The New York Times, August 28 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/29/world/middleeast/syria-iran-israel.html?_r=0ME)
Iranian lawmakers and commanders issued stark warnings to the United States and its allies on
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as well,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, according to the Mehr news agency.
Iran will not tolerate regime change
BBC 13
(BBC News, September 15 2013, “Footage claims to show Iranians in Syria”, BBC News, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24103801)
Footage has surfaced on the internet that gives the first tangible indication of Iran's involvement
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clerics in Tehran that Iran would back President Assad "to the end".
Escalation-Israel will retaliate if attacked
Vandiver 13
(John Vandiver, August 29 2013, “With eye on Syria, Israel says its prepared to answer if attacked”, Stripes.com, http://www.stripes.com/news/with-eye-on-syria-israel-says-it-s-prepared-to-answer-if-attacked-1.238147)
Along this battle-scarred border, the Israel Defense Force is bulking up as
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with force, Israeli military and political leaders have said in recent days.
Iran Israel war escalates, leads to EXTINCTION
Avery 13
(John Scales Avery, received a B.Sc. in theoretical physics from MIT and an M.Sc. from the University of Chicago. He later studied theoretical chemistry at the University of London, and was awarded a Ph.D. there in 1965. He is now Lektor Emeritus, Associate Professor, at the Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen. Fellowships, memberships in societies: Since 1990 he has been the Contact Person in Denmark for Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. In 1995, this group received the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. He was the Member of the Danish Peace Commission of 1998. Technical Advisor, World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe (1988- 1997). Chairman of the Danish Peace Academy, April 2004. “Syria And Iran: Automatic Escalation To World War III?,” Countercurrents.org, 27 August, 2013, http://www.countercurrents.org/avery270813.htmME)
As we approach the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I, we
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a conflict that could lead to the deaths of ourselves and our children?
Adv. 3 Genocide
The ultimate goal of White House foreign policy is the regime change
Knox 13
(Olivier Knox, Chief Washington Correspondent, Yahoo! News, “Obama warily eyes escalation of U.S. action on Syria,” ktex.net, August 26, 2013, http://www.ktex.net/pages/10manjam.html?feed=104668andarticle=11601161)
The White House settled last week on an interesting counter to the growing chorus of
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reached a turning point after last week’s alleged chemical weapons attack outside Damascus.
Syria is on the brink of the next genocide regime change ensures this
Adams 13
(SIMON ADAMS, Executive Director of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, “The World’s Next Genocide,” The Washington Post, November 15, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/opinion/the-worlds-next-genocide.html?_r=0)
AT a recent meeting hosted by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington,
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. Assad’s Alawite sect and Syria’s other religious minorities is growing every day.
Genocide is the worst possible impact
O’Donnell 02
(Michael J. O’Donnell, Eye witness to Genocide, “GENOCIDE, THE UNITED NATIONS, AND THE DEATH OF ABSOLUTE RIGHTS,” Cornell University Press 2002, http://www.bc.edu/dam/files/schools/law/lawreviews/journals/bctwj/23_2/07_TXT.htm)
Genocide is the most heinous crime that can be committed against a human population.
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as an absolute right, then absolute rights do not exist.47 ¶
