“I have been an eyewitness to terror,” says Cynthia McKinney, the former Georgia congresswoman and Green Party presidential candidate whose fact-finding delegation to Libya observed some of the heaviest NATO bombing of Tripoli, the capital. The U.S. corporate media are present in Libya, “but the truth is nowhere to be found,” McKinney told a press conference across the street from United Nations Headquarters in New York City. She is a featured speaker in a nationwide tour sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition, beginning in Harlem on June 25.

Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general and also part of the ANSWER tour, called NATO’s attack on Libya “the last of a long line of assaults on Arab and Muslim peoples.” He challenged the United Nations: “Are the people of the planet powerless to end this tyranny of violence?”

Viola Plummer, of the December 12th Movement, says “Africa is in the crosshairs,” the “focal point for the Empire’s recolonization.” A long list of organizations is planning a “Millions March in Harlem” to demand an “end to the bombing of Libya, the illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe,” and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “destruction of education, housing and health care” in the city.

Min. Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, denounced the United Nations “and all those who have joined to destroy Brother Leader Moammar Gaddafi.” UN Resolution 1973 is being used as a “pretext to assassinate” Gaddafi and “create regime change,” he said. “England, France, Germany, Italy and the United States do not have a good humanitarian history,” and are angry because Gaddafi pushed the foreigners out of Libya, “closed their bases and nationalized its oil.”

Obama’s War Powers Position is “Ludicrous”

Bruce Fein, author of “American Empire: Before the Fall” says, “If another country did to us what we are doing to Libya, we would incinerate it with nuclear weapons.” As to President Obama’s contention that the U.S. is not at war with Libya and, therefore, the War Powers Act has not been triggered, Fein says, “If it’s not war, then the United States is committing murder in Libya.” The White House also claims that no state of war exists because U.S. personnel are in little danger. Says Fein: “The same would be said if the U.S. launched ICBMs with nuclear warheads and utterly destroyed a country,” without itself sustaining casualties.

Frances Boyle, professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law, called Obama’s position “an insult.” He says the War Powers Act is triggered by “hostilities” with another state. Another provision states the legislation comes into play “any time we are armed in the airspace of another state.” Boyle is offering his services to any congressperson that wants to draw up a Bill of Impeachment against the president.

Bill Quigley, of the Center for Constitutional Rights, points out that candidate Obama spoke against the rise of an imperial presidency. “This is like the King wearing no clothes,” said Quigley, calling Obama’s legal stance “ludicrous.” There is little prospect of judicial restraints on the White House, because “the courts are cowardly.” The Congress may be making loud noises, but the president is telling them, in effect: “I know you’re not going to do anything about it.”