Kerry Asks Senate Panel for Expanded Authority to Fight ISIS - East Idaho News
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Kerry Asks Senate Panel for Expanded Authority to Fight ISIS

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050613 SecyKerry?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1418208709562State Department photo/ Public Domain(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State John Kerry met some stiff resistance from a member of his own party Tuesday when asking a Senate panel to give President Obama expanded authority to use military force against Islamic State militants.

The U.S. with some coalition support has conducted air strikes against ISIS targets in both Iraq and Syria since last August but wants to broaden its military might to eradicate the threat posed by the Islamic extremists, not just overseas, but to U.S. interests at home.

Although lawmakers don’t question the ISIS threat, Democrat Robert Menendez of New Jersey, chair of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was skeptical about giving the White House the authority to put boots back on the ground in Iraq.

Menendez, like other Democrats, favors authorization without “large-scale U.S. ground combat operations” in addition to a three-year limit on the measure.

However, Kerry’s request is for more flexibility, arguing that while President Obama has pledged not to send soldiers to fight ISIS, Congress should at least allow him the option to do so in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

The secretary of state maintained that any additional authority shouldn’t be restricted to just Iraq and Syria because ISIS might get the idea that it can establish “safe havens” elsewhere.

In some ways, Republicans are more open to giving the administration what it wants, but only with a clear strategy for defeating ISIS.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee could vote on Kerry’s request by Thursday, although Congress likely won’t vote on any legislation until it reconvenes in January after the holiday recess.


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