Geronimo was the name used by the United States military to conduct an operation to kill one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, the founder, and leader of the Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden. The code Geronimo was used during the operation to refer to bin Laden. Operation Geronimo was overseen by the then-sitting President, Barrack Obama. The operation resulted from joint efforts by different security forces, most notably the CIA and the United States Navy seal. It was supported by most United States citizens, the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, and most governments across the world (Goitein, 2020). President Obama ordered the raid on Osama bin Laden as it was his legal duty as the President of the United States. The order came days after four experienced administrative lawyers paved the way for the operation by developing rationales to overcome any legal obstacles. Therefore, the order was to kill and not capture Osama. This paper analyses the legal authority that was invested in President Barrack Obama to spearhead this operation.
The President is the commander in chief of the military, according to the U.S. Constitution. Obama had the legal authority and responsibility to protect and defend the United States of America as the top military commander. Since Osama bin Laden was involved in terrorist and evil operations that resulted in the loss of life and property in the United States and worldwide, he was in charge of overseeing the operation’s success. The role of the United States President as the commander-in-chief is stipulated in Article II, section 2 of the constitution. Being the supreme authority of the military, Obama had the legal responsibility to send the United States Navy for this operation. Therefore, the purpose of this operation was to maintain peace in the United States since Osama was involved in killing innocent men and women through bombing (Finkel, 2017). Under the powers vested in the President in this chapter, he can order actions against politically unorganized terrorists, bandits, and drug smugglers without involving legislative authorization. This case applied to the killing of bin Laden. The President of the United States is the Voice of the people of America. President Barrack Obama had the right to represent the people’s will and ensure that the bill of rights was observed. Many United States citizens were against terrorist activities carried out by the Al-Qaeda group led by bin Laden. The terrorist group denied the people of the United States the fundamental basic right to live by killing innocent people mercilessly.
The President represented their wishes by planning Operation Geronimo. He represented the civilian authority in the military by sending the Navy Seal to the operation. The President served as a symbol for public opinion. In addition, the United States Senate and Congress had passed legislation to prevent acts of terrorism. In the constitution, the public refers to terrorism as the illegal use of force and violence against the people or property to intimidate the government. Obama was, therefore, against the intimidation of the United States by terrorism activities led by bin Laden (Finkel, 2017). Congress had dictated that dealing with terrorism is not a matter of legislation and it’s the ability to respond effectively to the threat to promote peace. Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda had caused a threat to the peace of the United States and the whole world. Thus, President Barrack Obama represented the will of the people and the Congress by planning the Killing of Osama bin Laden who had caused a global peace threat (Weed, 2019). He defended the United States Constitution, which is against any terrorist activities. Osama was a common enemy to the people. The President’s act represented their will to fight and condemn acts of terrorism. As the President of the United States, the constitution mandated Barrack Obama to be the protector of peace. He responded to peace threats caused by Osama by planning for Operation Geronimo. The President’s constitutional authority is to conduct military operations against terrorism and the nations supporting the acts (Cooper, 2016). Therefore, President Obama had the power to implement military action as a response to September 11, 2011, terrorist attacks on the United States.
It was Congress that had recognized both justifications of the War Powers Resolution and the Joint Resolution, which had passed on September 14, 2001 (Fontaine et al., 2020). This resolution had granted the President the ability to formulate a response against any individual, organization, or State which are under suspicion of directing terrorist attacks in the United States. The President was given the power to deploy military force in response to terrorist individuals or organizations. Operation Geronimo made the United States be recognized as the foremost protector of peace in the world. The act by President Obama did not also maintain peace in the United States but also in the world. Obama has to have utilized his presidential powers to keep the peace in his country. Al Qaeda had declared war on the U.S. for, among other things, supporting the western attack against Somalia Muslims, U.S. support for Israel, and sanctions against Iraq. The President of the United States is the Manager of Prosperity (Ramsey & Vladeck, 2017). He is responsible for making sure that the State is stable economically. Most investors were afraid of investing in the United States due to the declaration by Al-Qaeda to attack U.S. citizens. President Obama, therefore, had a role in restoring public confidence in the country’s business environment by killing the leader of Al-Qaeda. Thus, the President had to defend American property against destruction by terrorist activities.
In conclusion, as the commander in chief of the United States Armed forces, the President is mandated to protect the lives and property of United States citizens. In addition, he has the legal mandate to uphold and protect the constitution. When the country’s peace is threatened, the President can use military force to restore peace to the country. For these reasons, the President of the United States is regarded as the promoter of peace in the country. The United States congress further clarified these powers through the War Powers Resolution, and the Joint Resolution passed on September 14, 2001. President Obama observed his constitutional powers while conducting the Geronimo Operation. He had the legal authority to protect the lives of the people of the United States and their property. He acted in his capacity as the commander in chief, the Voice of the people, the promoter of peace, and the manager of prosperity. Obama responded to peace threats caused by Osama by planning Operation Geronimo. Thus, restoring public confidence in the ability of the government to fight terrorism.
References
Finkel, G. (2017). A New Strategy against ISIS. The Jerusalem Post.
Fontaine, R., Schulman, L. D., & Tankel, S. (2020). War Powers: What Are They Good For? CNAS.
Goitein, E. (2020). Congress’s Role in Military Conflict: The Growing Gap Between Constitutional Principle and Practice. Brennan Center.
Ramsey, M. & Vladeck, S. (2017). Common Interpretation: Commander in Chief Clause. National Constitution Center Education Resources.
Weed, M. C. (2019). The War Powers Resolution: Concepts and Practice. (Congressional Research Service No. 15). Washington, DC: Library of Congress.