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Published on 04/07/1999 All articles from this issue

Campbell: U.S. military action in Kosovo undermines Congress, unconstitutional

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By Clyde Noel

Special to the Town Crier

Tom Campbell said President Clinton acted prematurely and without full Congressional consent, when he ordered U.S. military intervention in Kosovo on March 24.

The 15th Congressional district Republican made his remarks before members of the Peninsula West Valley Association of Realtors last Thursday at the Los Altos Golf & Country Club. Campbell, a former 11th district state senator who had headquarters in Los Altos, also addressed the current state of the economy and the real estate market.

Although Campbell noted, "My full support and prayers for their safety go with our fighting men and women serving our country," he said: "I highly regret the president's commencing of this action - he did not wait for the other half of Congress or the U.S. Senate, to vote on a resolution regarding the use of force. Nor did he supply the prerequisite reports and findings required by the House of Representatives in its conditional resolution of support.

"In so acting, President Clinton has, as other presidents before him, acted in defiance of the U.S. Constitution, which vests the sole right to declare war in the U.S. Congress," Campbell said. "The use of force on this occasion is unprecedented in U.S. history. No claim is made that the country against which our force is directed has threatened the United States, as happened in World War II, and in more recent conflicts, when the U.S. attacked Libya in response to its attacks on U.S. servicemen overseas. It is the official position of our government that Kosovo is a part of Serbia. The United States has not been asked to defend one sovereign against the invasion of another, as was the case in Kuwait and Iraq in 1991."

Campbell added "it is in order for any member of Congress to introduce a resolution to compel the withdrawal of U.S. forces. I will introduce such a resolution within 60 days unless the president has, by then, withdrawn U.S. forces from hostilities in an around Kosovo, or has obtained the permission of Congress to keep them there."

Last year Campbell introduced a resolution regarding the maintenance of troops in Bosnia. He said his purpose was to ensure the Constitution is being followed. On the merits of each intervention, Campbell said the president can make his case to the elected representatives, but he must obtain the approval of Congress, Campbell said.

Regarding the economy, Campbell said: "The books are closed on annual corporate reports and profits have turned down. With the lowering of profits, we have a maturing of the economic boom we are experiencing.

"We will soon begin to think where we might be in the next cycle. As good as real estate is right now, we should recognize that statistic. The economy is strong, but it's maturing, and this will have a strong influence on prices and properties."