This U.S. Task Force Set About Killing Hundreds of Thousands

   Some of the U.S.'s largest bombs were illegally dropped on Syria's largest dam, the Tabqua Dam, in 2017, according to the New York Times. Had the bombs been successful in breaking the dam, the waters would have unleashed their fury on the valley below, where hundreds of thousands lived. Luckily, one of the bombs didn't detonate or the dam would have busted, killing the people below. 

   The U.S. initially denied any part. As it turned out, at that time, top officials were, indeed, unaware that a special unit had decided to bomb the dam. The Times reported that U.S. Special Operations Task Force 9 -- even after it had been warned knocking out the dam would cause hundreds of thousands of deaths -- chose to bomb the dam, anyway. The Times reported that the Special Operations unit, "used a procedural shortcat reserved for emergencies, allowing it to launch the attack without clearance."

   What "procedural shortcut"? How can an act of war be committed without Congress's approval, the president's approval, or even the approval of those high in the military? Congress should find out what the "procedural shortcut" was and outlaw it. Those Task Force 9 members who chose to drop the bombs should be held accountable. You don't set about killing hundreds of thousands in the name of the U.S. flag and not go without severe punishment.