SENATE BILL: Emergency Resolution to Authorize Force in Iraq (Withdrawn)

[DemPGH]

Trying to "destroy" ISIS is making the mistake, IMO, that has been made many times before. How do you even do that? What's the plan? We haven't destroyed al-Qaeda - and now we want to try to destroy ISIS? I don't think so. Also, when we attack one, they splinter and morph into another one, often more extreme than the one before. It's a mess!

Now. I can understand joining a coalition that seeks to prevent ISIS from taking over a government, but unilaterally sending drones and bombs and tanks out to the back country will not destroy ISIS. It will create a catastrophic mess on top of another catastrophic mess. You have to understand that these people are semi-barbaric. What can we really do outside cooperating with others to achieve very basic objectives?

I'm also not warm to what I'm reading that the in-game situation is possibly worse than the RL one.

[DemPGH]

I understand II.1.3 as given the President the power to direct a war once Congress or the Senate has issued a declaration or has authorized an attack. Presidential powers are likely fairly limited and temporary - to respond to a crisis or to stave off an immediate threat, essentially. There is a degree of latitude there, and there has been in RL latitude given for operations that are limited in scale. That's at least my reading of it.

I'm of course not asking for a declaration of war - against whom, anyway? ISIS?

Also, absent a coalition I have no plans to sand the military to Iraq at all at this time for anything.