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Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's how Obama dropped more than 26K bombs on 7 countries without congressional approval in 2016
Then-U.S. President Barack Obama dropped more than 26,000 bombs on seven countries — Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen — in 2016 alone. We determined this by looking at data from the U.S. Air Force, Council for Foreign Relations, the Long War Journal and the New America Foundation. Obama did not obtain an act from Congress to conduct his military operations; however, his actions were not illegal. Congress passed a broad 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to approve war against al-Qaida and the Taliban, which Obama relied on to justify his military activities. However, Obama stretched use of the 2001 AUMF to target militant groups that either did not exist on Sept. 11, 2001, or were not al-Qaida affiliates. U.S. presidents have repeatedly conducted military activities in other countries without seeking approval from Congress. President Donald Trump justified military activities during his first administration by citing the AUMF as well. As U.S. President Donald Trump authorized surprise airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 without seeking congressional approval, many of his defenders pointed out that former President Barack Obama carried out similar actions during his presidency. Conservative podcaster Alec Lace wrote on X: 2016 - Barack Obama dropped 26,171 bombs on Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan without Congress Approval 2025 - Donald Trump dropped 36 bombs on Iran nuclear sites without Congress Approval Guess which one libs are mad about? The above claim about Obama is technically correct in that he did not obtain an act of Congress to conduct his military activities, though numerous presidents — including Trump — have done the same. We looked through old databases and reports about Obama's airstrikes and drone warfare program conducted with coalition partners through the year 2016 to confirm the number of strikes he authorized. However, Obama relied on an Authorization for Use of Military Force that Congress issued in 2001 to target al- Qaida and the Taliban as a legal basis for his administration's military actions. In June 2025, Trump sent stealth aircraft into Iran with so-called Massive Ordinance Penetrator "bunker buster bombs" to reach concealed sites. Per a Pentagon briefing, around 75 precision-guided weapons were used in the overall operation, which included missiles sent by a U.S. submarine toward Isfahan. Around 14 of the bunker busters hit their targets. In 2014, the U.S. along with a number of coalition partners began Operation Inherent Resolve against the militant Islamic State group. The U.S. conducted numerous airstrikes in Iraq and Syria using both manned and unmanned aircraft, including drones. According to data from the U.S. Air Force Central Command, in 2016 the coalition dropped a total of 30,743 weapons in Iraq and Syria. According to an analysis by the think tank Council for Foreign Relations, the U.S. carried out 79% of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria in 2016 and was responsible for 24,287 of these bombs. In addition, through Operation Enduring Sentinel in Afghanistan, the U.S. dropped a total of 1,337 weapons through both manned and unmanned aircraft, according to data collected by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an independent media outlet. Data from the Long War Journal — part of the conservative Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank — and the liberal think tank New America also found the U.S. conducted around 513 strikes in Libya, 43 in Yemen, 14 in Somalia, and 3 in Pakistan in 2016. This data didn't give the exact numbers of weapons used. Regardless, keeping in mind the number of strikes in Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan, as well as the quantity of weapons used in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, the total still amounts to more than 26,000 bombs in seven countries in just 2016. Trump is not the first president who did not get congressional consent to carry out military actions in another country. In 1950, President Harry Truman used his authority to send U.S. troops to defend South Korea along with a U.N. Security Council resolution, but no authority from Congress. In 1980s, President Ronald Reagan ordered military force in Libya, Grenada and Lebanon, and in 1989 President George H.W. Bush directed the invasion of Panama to topple the dictator Manuel Noriega. According to a National Constitution Center analysis, while the U.S. Constitution gives the president the title of commander in chief of all armed forces, only Congress can declare war. Over the years, presidents have broadly interpreted their roles as commander in chief and often used it to bypass Congress. In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Resolution to ensure Congress had a role in approving U.S. involvement in any armed conflicts. However, Congress has also passed numerous Authorizations for the Use of Military Force that give the president the ability to carry out limited and clearly defined military actions. In practice, however, these AUMFs have been interpreted broadly to justify all kinds of military actions. In 2001, Congress passed an AUMF authorizing military actions against "those responsible for the recent [Sept. 11, 2001] attacks against the United States." In 2002, Congress passed another AUMF calling for the use of military force against Iraq. When Obama ordered military intervention in 2011 in Libya without congressional approval, he said his actions did not fall under the War Powers Resolution. A 2016 analysis by left-leaning think tank Center for American Progress found that the Obama administration had continued to use this justification for drone strikes: "Congress initially authorized war against al-Qaida and the Taliban in its 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, and the Obama administration continues to rely on that AUMF as congressional authority for ongoing military operations." The Council for Foreign Relations also evaluated the legality of Obama's drone strikes in 2017. It found that the 2001 AUMF had been "stretched" by the Obama administration to "justify strikes against terror groups that either did not exist on 9/11, or are unaffiliated with al-Qaida. Yet, the AUMF remains the domestic legal underpinning for all U.S. military actions against Islamist terrorists." A 2016 paper by a pair of Duke and Harvard Law School professors, Curtis A. Bradley and Jack L. Goldsmith, on "Obama's AUMF Legacy" noted that Obama initially wanted to repeal the 2001 AUMF, but by the end of his presidency it acted as the legal underpinning for his military actions: Despite massive changes in the geographical scope of the conflict that began on 9/11, the strategy and tactics employed, and the identity of the enemy, the AUMF remains the principal legal foundation under U.S. domestic law for the president to use force against and detain members of terrorist organizations. The AUMF is already the longest operative congressional authorization of military force in U.S. history, and, as of fall 2016, there was no immediate prospect that Congress would move to repeal or update it. With the continued vibrancy of Al Qaeda, its associates, and the Taliban, and with the 2014 presidential extension of the AUMF to cover military operations against the Islamic State, the AUMF is likely to be the primary legal basis for American uses of force for the foreseeable future. […] For many years, President Obama proclaimed that he wanted to repeal the AUMF and end the AUMF-authorized conflict. By the closing year of his presidency, however, his administration had established the AUMF as the legal foundation for an indefinite conflict against Al Qaeda and associated groups and extended that foundation to cover a significant new conflict against the Islamic State. In 2014 and 2015, Obama did try to get Congress to pass an updated AUMF for his ongoing war against the Islamic State. In February 2015, he sent Congress a draft AUMF, but disagreements over how it would limit the powers of a future U.S. president, and even Obama, meant the measure stalled. In 2020, Trump also cited the 2002 AUMF as the legal justification for the Jan. 2, 2020, U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. Obama did use more than 26,000 bombs in 2016 alone against seven countries. However, while he did not get congressional approval at the time, he relied on older congressional authorizations as the legal basis for such strikes, a practice that Trump also continued. "Afghanistan: Reported US Air and Drone Strikes 2016." TBIJ, Accessed 24 June 2025. "America's Counterterrorism Wars." New America, Accessed 24 June 2025. Bradley, Curtis A., and Jack L. Goldsmith. "Obama's AUMF Legacy." The American Journal of International Law, vol. 110, no. 628, 2016, Accessed 24 June 2025. Combined Forces Air Component Commander 2014-2021 Airpower Statistics. U.S. Air Force Central Command, 30 Nov. 2021, Accessed 24 June 2025. Crowley, Michael, and Edward Wong. "Is the U.S. at War With Iran? What to Know About Trump, Congress and War Powers." The New York Times, 22 June 2025. Accessed 24 June 2025. "Does the President Need Congress to Approve Military Actions in Iran? | Constitution Center." National Constitution Center – Accessed 24 June 2025. Elsea, Jennifer. "Defense Primer: Legal Authorities for the Use of Military Forces." U.S. Congress, 10 Dec. 2024, Accessed 24 June 2025. "Evaluating the Obama Administration's Drone Reforms." Council on Foreign Relations, 31 Jan. 2017, Accessed 24 June 2025. Fowler, Stephen. "Trump Administration Defends Iranian Strikes as Some Lawmakers Question Its Legality." NPR, 22 June 2025. NPR, Accessed 24 June 2025. Glass , Andrew. "United States Invades Panama, Dec. 20, 1989." Politico, 20 Dec. 2018, Accessed 24 June 2025. "Hegseth, Caine Laud Success of U.S. Strike on Iran Nuke Sites." Department of Defense, 22 June 2025, Accessed 24 June 2025. Herb, Jeremy. "Congress War Authorization: Where We Last Left off." CNN, 7 Apr. 2017, Accessed 24 June 2025. " - Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002." U.S. Congress. Accessed 24 June 2025. "Interpretation: Declare War Clause." National Constitution Center. Accessed 24 June 2025. Kheel, Rebecca. "Trump Administration Outlines Legal Justification for Soleimani Strike." The Hill, 14 Feb. 2020, Accessed 24 June 2025. Liptak, Kevin. "Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites Thrust US into Escalating Middle East Conflict." CNN, 22 June 2025, Accessed 24 June 2025. Martin, Kate. "Are U.S. Drone Strikes Legal?" Center for American Progress, 1 Apr. 2016, Accessed 24 June 2025. "Operation Enduring Sentinel Lead Inspector General Quarterly Report to Congress, January 1, 2024—March 31, 2024." Office of Inspector General. Accessed 24 June 2025. "Public Law 107–40." U.S. Congress, 18 Sept. 2001, Accessed 24 June 2025. "US Airstrikes in the Long War." FDD's Long War Journal, Accessed 24 June 2025. "What We Know about US Air Strikes on Three Iranian Nuclear Sites." BBC, 23 June 2025, Accessed 24 June 2025. "Who We Are." Operation Inherent Resolve, Accessed 24 June 2025. Zenko, Micah and Jennifer Wilson. "How Many Bombs Did the United States Drop in 2016?" Council on Foreign Relations. Accessed 24 June 2025.
Newsweek
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Thomas Massie Jokes He'd Like Ceasefire With Trump After Iran Rift
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Iran and Israel had agreed to a "complete and total ceasefire," a Republican congressman who was at odds with Trump over U.S. involvement in the conflict joked that he would also like a ceasefire with the president. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email on Monday. The Context Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky skewered Trump after the president authorized U.S. strikes against Iranian nuclear sites without congressional approval. Trump's decision to launch the strikes came after Israel sparked a war with Iran on June 13 with a series of missile strikes that decimated Iran's military chain-of-command and nuclear infrastructure. Israel's strikes threw a wrench into Iran-U.S. diplomatic efforts toward reaching a new nuclear deal. On Saturday, the U.S. entered the conflict by dropping 14 Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, known as "bunker buster" bombs, and more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at three Iranian nuclear sites. Trump administration officials said the strikes "obliterated" Iran's nuclear infrastructure, but the full extent of the damage is not known. Representative Thomas Massie exits a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on June 4. Representative Thomas Massie exits a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on June 4. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images What To Know Trump on Monday evening announced that Iran and Israel had come to a ceasefire agreement that would go into effect early Tuesday, though the formal terms of the agreement have not been released. CNN's Manu Raju asked Massie after the announcement whether Trump deserves credit for it, to which Massie replied that it's "too soon to say." "There was another way to do this where you could still get credit, where you do it constitutionally," the Kentucky Republican said. He then quipped: "I'd like a ceasefire between me and President Trump, if I can get the same deal after his bunker busters he dropped on me." Massie has long been a thorn in Trump's side, but tensions between the two men ratcheted up this year, when Massie lambasted the Trump-backed "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" working its way through Congress and slammed Trump over his decision to go around lawmakers to bomb Iran. Trump railed against Massie over the weekend, calling the Kentucky Republican a "simple-minded 'grandstander,'" a "pathetic LOSER" and a "BUM." The president and his team have also made clear that they want Massie out of Congress. "He should be a Democrat because he is more aligned with them than with the Republican Party," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday. Trump's senior political advisers, Tony Fabrizio and Chris LaCivita, also launched a political action committee (PAC) dedicated to unseating Massie, Axios reported. The Kentucky lawmaker told CNN on Monday that he can hold his own against a Trump-backed Republican primary opponent. Trump's "endorsement's worth about 10 points and I can sustain that," he told Raju. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump rages over ‘fake news media' reports that Iranian nuclear sites weren't destroyed by Midnight Hammer op: ‘Sleazebags'
President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at press reports indicating that the audacious bombing and missile strikes he ordered against three Iranian nuclear sites hadn't been as effective as he and his top defense officials have claimed. In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed the target nuclear sites hit by the U.S. over the weekend 'were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it' while accusing 'the fake news' of trying to 'demean' his administration by saying otherwise. He singled out CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, senior ABC correspondent Jonathan Karl, and Brian Roberts, the owner of NBC News parent company Comcast, as 'working especially hard' on the alleged 'falsehood,' though he purposefully misstated the name of Cooper in a homophobic taunt, calling him 'Allison' instead. 'It never ends with the sleazebags in the Media, and that's why their Ratings are at an ALL TIME LOW — ZERO CREDIBILITY!' he added. But Trump's claim that American forces were successful in entirely destroying the Fordow, Esfahan and Natanz facilities doesn't match available evidence. Satellite photographs made available by Maxar Technologies showed several craters and new holes atop a ridge near the site of the Fordow nuclear facility outside Qom, one of three of the sites hit on Saturday and one of two attacked using 30,000 pound Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP) bombs dropped from B-2 stealth bomber aircraft. The photos also show blocked tunnel entrances preventing access to the facility, but no damage to a large support building nearby. Other photographs released by the company show damage to the other two sites at Esfahan and Natanz, but not necessarily the catastrophic result hinted at by Trump in a Sunday post on Truth Social in which he said 'monumental damage' had been inflicted by the combination of MOP bombs and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles filed from an Ohio-class submarine. While Trump claimed that 'obliteration' is an accurate way to describe the state of the targets after the attack, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said no one 'is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow' at this time. 'As for the assessment of the degree of damage underground, on this we cannot pronounce ourselves. It could be important; it could be significant, but no one … neither us nor anybody else could be able to tell you how much it has been damaged,' he added. Trump's boasts also contradict what was said by his top military adviser, General Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. joint chiefs of staff, at a press conference on Sunday. The Air Force general told reporters it was 'way too early ... to comment on what may or may not still be there.' Iran has vowed to retaliate for the attacks and on Monday launched ballistic missiles at an American airbase in Qatar.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
B-2 bombers, ‘Bunker Busters', Tomahawks: US joins Israel-Iran war; what weapons hit Iran's nuclear sites
US President Donald Trump delivering national address after strikes in Iran The United States entered the war between its ally Israel and Iran by conducting air strikes on Iran's nuclear sites early Sunday morning in the Islamic Republic. The US deployed some of its most sophisticated weaponry for the strikes - the B-2 Spirit bombers, the GBU-57 A/B MOPs (Massive Ordinance Penetrator) and the Tomahawk cruise missiles. B-2 Spirit bombers: More famous as the Stealth, six of these were used to drop the "bunker busters" on the underground Fordow plant, Iran's primary nuclear facility, near the Qom city. The B-2 Spirit was used as it is the only aircraft capable of carrying the Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP), which experts have highlighted as the only bomb potentially capable of destroying underground targets, such as Fordow. Also Read: What are B-2 bombers used by US to strike Iran? Here's why they're key GBU 57 A/B MOPs: It is a 30,000-pound bomb with 6,000 pounds of explosives and is also known as "bunker buster." This is because it is designed to destroy heavily protected facilities such as bunkers deep underground, beyond the reach of normal bombs. The GBU-57 is the most powerful bunker buster in the US arsenal. Besides Fordow, it was used against the Natanz facility in the Isfahan province. Tomahwaks: During the operation, as many as 30 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles were fired by the United States Navy at the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. A long-range cruise missile, it is fired from ships and submarines. Its targets can be changed in-flight through satellite communications. According to the US Navy, Tomahawks can loiter over a target area to respond to emerging targets and also provide battle damage information. Their first operational use was in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
Time of India
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Why the US used B-2 stealth bombers, costing $2.1 billion each, to strike Iran's nuclear sites
Live Events Why US used B-2 bombers? What are B-2 bombers? Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) Conventional Payloads Nuclear Payload capabilities (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. military struck three sites in Iran , directly joining Israel 's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional decision to directly involve the U.S. in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that aimed to systematically eradicate the country's air defenses and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in a post on social media. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.'Trump added in a later post that he would address the nation at 10 p.m. Eastern time, writing 'This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!'Trump said B-2 stealth bombers were used but did not specify what types of bombs were dropped. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation.B-2 bombers are the only plane capable of carrying the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, which experts have highlighted as the only type of bomb potentially capable of destroying Iran's underground Fordow nuclear U.S. B-2 costs about $2.1 billion each, making it the most expensive military aircraft ever built. Made by Northrop Grumman, the bomber, with its cutting-edge stealth technology, began its production run in the late 1980s but was curbed by the fall of the Soviet Union. Only 21 were made after the Pentagon's planned acquisition program was bomber's range of over 6,000 nautical miles (11,112 km) without refueling enables global strike capabilities from continental U.S. bases. With aerial refueling, the B-2 can reach virtually any target worldwide, as demonstrated in missions from Missouri to Afghanistan and Libya and now payload capacity of more than 40,000 pounds (18,144 kg) allows the aircraft to carry a diverse array of conventional and nuclear weapons. The bomber's internal weapons bays are specifically designed to maintain stealth characteristics while accommodating large ordnance loads which could include two GBU-57A/B MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator), a 30,000-pound precision-guided "bunker buster" said six bunker buster bombs were used on Iran's Fordow research B-2's two-pilot crew configuration reduces personnel requirements while maintaining operational effectiveness through advanced automation B-2's stealth technology incorporates radar-absorbing materials and angular design features that minimize detection by enemy air defense systems. Its radar cross-section is reportedly comparable to that of a small bird, making it nearly invisible to conventional 30,000-pound MOP represents the largest conventional bomb in the U.S. arsenal, specifically engineered to defeat hardened underground bunkers. Its massive size requires the B-2 to carry only one or two MOPs per mission, but provides unmatched bunker-penetration weapon's 20.5-foot (6.25-m) length and GPS-guided precision targeting system enable accurate strikes against specific underground facilities. Its penetration capability of over 200 feet through hardened concrete makes it effective against the world's most protected underground Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) provide the B-2 with precision conventional strike capability against fixed targets. These GPS-guided weapons can be deployed in large numbers, with the bomber capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets with high Standoff Weapons (JSOW) extend the aircraft's engagement range while maintaining stealth characteristics during approach. These glide bombs allow the B-2 to strike targets from outside heavily defended airspace Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) offer long-range precision strike capability with their own stealth features. The extended-range JASSM-ER variant provides strike options against targets over 500 miles (805 km) B-2 Spirit serves as a key component of America's nuclear triad, capable of delivering strategic nuclear weapons with stealth and precision. The aircraft can carry up to 16 B83 nuclear bombs.
