There are a lot more threats out there than AQ. We need both the President and Congress to exercise their constitutional responsibilities for national security to address the full range of threats. You do not write a blank check to the President and the President should not be turning one authorization into a blank check. The adversarial relationship between the President and Congress, while frustrating for national security "purists" is a necessary function built into our federal democratic republic that is the one of the first lines of defense of our Constitution.
AQ is a threat and still a dangerous one but we should not be myopically focused on it or look to tying everything to AQ. I really think that hinders our strategic thinking.
Sen. Corker: Use Syria Strikes Authorization To Reform Post-9/11 AUMF
Aug. 26, 2014 - 08:26PM |
By JOHN T. BENNETT | Comments
Sen. Bob Corker is urging the Obama administration to come to Congress and request authority before launching strikes inside Syria. (Chip Somodevilla/ / Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama should seek congressional approval before launching strikes inside Syria, and Congress should answer by amending a key post-9/11 measure, says the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s top Republican.
As reports surfaced about Pentagon planning at the White House’s behest to strike Islamic State targets on
Syrian soil, lawmakers are interrupting their August recess to urge Obama to let Congress give him clear legal approval before any bombing campaign begins.
“We should, certainly, authorize this,” Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown” political program. “Congress should own …
military action.”
Some national security law scholars say the Obama administration simply could use the authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) passed after 9/11 to justify the attacks.
“I hope that is not what they will do,” Corker said, joining the ranks in Congress pushing for the first revision to the 2001-passed measure. “I hope what they will instead do is come to Congress and ask for a new authorization for a new threat that has evolved over time.
“What Congress wants to do, in fact, is broaden his authority, and narrow it at the same time,” Corker said, acknowledging, “I know that sound strange.”
(Continued at the link below)
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