Obama Doesn't Need Permission from Congress to Wage War

Leon Panetta told the senator Sessions and the Senate Armed Services Committee that he and the Obama administration don't need congressional approval to start wars but rather all he needed was NATO to "make the decision to go in". He makes the statement while a smug general sits behind him in the senate sneering at Senator Sessions for daring to question the military's authority to "defend the nation"

Sessions specifically asked Panetta if he thought he didn't need congressional approval to

attack Syria and Panetta replied that he worked for republican and democratic presidents who claimed the "right" to "defend the nation"

Apparently he forgot the propaganda... we aren't going to bomb Syria to defend OUR nation... Syria, Bosnia, and Libya were never marketed as threats to OUR nation... we are going to bomb Syria to defend THEIR nation from THEIR government. So Panetta's justification just fell apart completely. (video of Panetta's and Session's exchange after the break)
Panetta mumbled through the questioning and when Session pinned him down for a reply to his question (where do you seek legal permission to deploy US forces in combat?) he claimed; 1. a coalition of the willing 2. the United Nations and 3. NATO (which is run by the United States military (Panetta himself)).. "We have options here". He never ONCE admitted that it takes an act of congress to declare war.
Senator Sessions disagreed with Obama's CIA man in the Pentagon:
"I'm really baffled by the idea that somehow an international assembly provides a legal basis for the United States military to be deployed in combat. I don't believe it's close to being correct. They provide NO LEGAL AUTHORITY. The ONLY legal authority that is REQUIRED to commit the United States military is the congress and the president. That's the law and the constitution." Senator Session
After that, Obama's man Panetta comes back and makes it perfectly CLEAR that he will not seek congressional approval for either another Libya type bombing campaign NOR even another AFGHANISTAN!!!

"Leave no authority existing not responsible to the people."
—Thomas Jefferson