The vote in the U.S. House of Representatives against approving U.S. participation in the NATO operation in Libya was basically an overwhelming rejection of the Obama administration’s argument that the United States is not at “war” in Libya.

In the Congressional view, the United States was at least a co-belligerent, an “associated power” supporting the more robust efforts of France and Britain. The U.S. initiated the air campaign against Libya and continues to provide logistical support for an effort that now directly targets the governing apparatus of the Libyan state.

But the fact is that there are no clear guidelines any longer on what constitutes war. Moreover, since “war” is forbidden by the charter of the United Nations except in self-defense or if authorized by the Security Council, states hardly ever declare military actions to be “war” any more — they are always self defense, police actions, interventions or the like.

American constitutional purists decry this state of affairs and hearken to a purported golden age when the war-making authority of the executive branch was carefully constrained by Congressional oversight.