In this article on The Cipher Brief, Professor Geoffrey Corn, a member of CERL’s Advisory Council, argues that even though the campaign against alleged narco-terrorist groups currently does not risk high levels of causalities for United States military personnel, and according to the Trump administration, does not qualify as a large-scale war, it is exactly this sort of action that the War Powers Resolution (WPR) was intended to cover. Professor Corn traces the origins of the WPR from the Vietnam War era to the airstrikes against suspected drug boats in the Pacific and Caribbean today and how getting Congressional approval for further military action in the region is critical to prevent the country from being dragged into a war incrementally. 

Geoffrey S. Corn is the George R. Killam, Jr. Chair of Criminal Law and Director of the Center for Military Law and Policy at Texas Tech University School of Law. A retired U.S. Army Judge Advocate Officer, he served as the Army’s senior law of war advisor. He is also a member of the CERL Advisory Council. Read his bio here.    

The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of any organization or university.