...in the House, Congress passed Senate Joint Resolution 23, which authorized the president to employ force "against those nations, organizations, or persons,...authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks" against the United States (emphasis added). In addition, Congress passed the USA Patriot Act, which...

...2001 resolution accepted the necessity of a military response overseas: "the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons that he determines planned, authorized, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11,...

...Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe; the creation of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) in 1 949 also affirmed the link between US security interests...the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 200 1."9 Reflecting the international community's united support, France's Le Monde bore the headline,...

...terrorism, [and] all terrorist groups."1 Three days later Congress resolved That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against...terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any further acts of international terrorism...

...issued a joint resolution (the AUMF—Authorization for Use of Military Force) authorizing the president "to use all necessary and appropriate force against...terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism...

...wasn't just a nonbinding expression of condemnation of the attacks. The law empowered the President "to use all necessary and appropriate force against...terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001. "23 The President's authority was not limited to the immediate perpetrators of the attacks but to any...

...Force. With respect to activities linked to al Qaeda, 50 USC § 1541 gives the president the authority to "use all necessary and appropriate force against...terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism...

...program. In the AUMF, Congress authorized the President: Testimony of Robert Alt September 6, 2006 Page 2 to use all necessary and appropriate force against...terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism...

...Force'. SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES. (a) That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against...terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism...

...use of military force' (hereafter, AUMF).5 Section 2 of the AUMF stated: 'The President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against...aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 1 1, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international...