In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” Graham said he hopes France will invoke a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation provision that would draw its allies into a war against ISIS.
Advertisement
The resolution, which Graham plans to officially introduce after the Thanksgiving recess, is being shaped and shopped around to senators on Wednesday. They are more lethal than Al Qaeda. “No expiration date. No prohibition on sending American forces on the ground to combat ISIL”.
“With thousands of servicemembers in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and attacks happening all over the world, the notion that a fourteen-year old statute aimed at another enemy is any kind of a substitute for Congressional authorization to go after ISIL is insufficient”, said Flake.
Mr. Kaine and Mr. Flake said Congress has been remiss in leaving the president free to fight the war as he sees fit for more than a year and that it’s time for lawmakers to step up.
Under pressure from Congress, Mr. Obama submitted a request for authorization in February that called for a limited war and a three-year sunset. “There is no other way to defeat this threat – we must go in on the ground and stop them over there”, Graham said in a statement.
“To the extent that the administration’s strategy is not what we would want it to be, they have to present a strategy to Congress”, Kaine continued. Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., said “we need to update the AUMF and let every member of Congress who was not here back then have the opportunity to express him or herself”.
The issue has failed to gain momentum on Capitol Hill since President Obama’s proposal for the use of military force against the Islamic State group, written to supplement the 2001 AUMF which has been used to cover the current conflict. “After 9/11 we created authorization to allow us to attack al-Qaeda anywhere, and we need the same thing now”. “This authorization will mirror the approach we took against al-Qaeda after 9/11”.
“ISIL is stealing oil from the people of Iraq and Syria” at a rate estimated by the Treasury Department at $1 million daily, [Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis] said.
Advertisement
The dispute between war hawks, such as Mr. Graham, and those who want a more limited engagement left Congress in a stalemate. “I choose to fight them in their backyard”. “By hitting ISIS-controlled oil facilities and distribution networks, “We’re disrupting a significant source of funding” for terror activities, he said”.
