Introduction by Committee Chairman John Henry
Tonight we meet in an emergency Zoom salon to examine the unconstitutional and
unprovoked war of aggression against Iran. Since our founding in 2003, the Committee for the Republic has engaged our members in continuous discussion about the deadly consequences of our imperial presidency. We champion being citizens of a republic celebrating the rule of law with liberty and justice for all and protest being subjects of an empire celebrating the law of the jungle where the strong do what they want and the weak accept what they must.
The Iranian war is what happens when Congress abdicates its most important power – the war power -- for 76 years. President Trump secretly planning this war with Israel for months -- while keeping Congress and the American people in the dark -- is the latest installment in an ongoing series of presidential wars begun by President Truman in Korea in 1950. Unless Congress
enforces its war power through cutting war funding and impeachment, the Committee will be holding one emergency presidential war salon after another. This is the hard truth every American voter should demand on election day.
The Committee is fortunate to have a Board of Directors with unmatched expertise to lead our discussion tonight.
Bruce Fein will kick off with the illegality of this war. Former Chairman Chas Freeman will give us the big picture. No one is better qualified to cut through the propaganda. Ivan Eland will explain how this Iranian war is different from the 12-day Iranian war last June. Our Defender of Liberty Award winner Ted Postol will tell us the truth about the absence of real missile defense. Bob Wiedemer will tell us how Wall Street and the world economy is reacting to the closure of the Strait of
Hormuz.