alt Hacker NewsThen you get into the contorted question of whether what just happened, is war.
It is certainly an act of war.
De Jure we do need congress' permission for war, as you stated. You are correct.
De facto, limited interventions (especially, special ops missons) have not had a need for congress for a while now.
And this is another opportunity to reevaluate that de facto standard and assert it's illegitimacy.