Despite the lack of a renewed authorization for the use of military force, the Pentagon directed two F-15 fighter jets loaded with 500-pound bombs to destroy a building in Libya over the weekend believed to contain former al Qaeda member Mokhtar Belmokhtar.
For months as the Islamic State has expanded throughout the central coastline of Libya, taking the city of Sirte and closing in on Benghazi, the U.S. has not expanded its Operation Inherent Resolve airstrike mission against the terrorist group, under the argument that the mission needs a renewed AUMF from Congress and the president to move beyond Iraq or Syria.
The airstrikes targeted Belmokhtar, who was responsible for the 2013 attacks in Algeria that killed 38 civilians, including three Americans. Belmokhtar had split from al-Qaeda by that time to form his own terror cell, Al Murabitun. On Monday, the Pentagon said it coordinated the airstrike with the government of Libya.
On Monday, the Pentagon said it had the authority to conduct the airstrike under the current AUMF, due to Belmokhtar’s continued ties to al Qaeda, even though he had branched away from the organization.
“We have the authority to conduct the strike because the target … had continued allegiance to al Qaeda,” Warren said. “So under the current AUMF we had the authority to execute the strike.”
