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One year ago, when ISIS seized control of Fallujah, Iraq, the world slept. Intent on following through with promises to disengage in the Middle East, President Obama dismissed this group as the equivalent of the “JV team.” In hindsight, that couldn’t have been more wrong. Since then, ISIS has captured territory, set up a medieval-governance structure, and shocked the world with brutality. Kidnappings, beheadings, and public executions are just a taste of the evil committed on an hourly basis. These victims met their end by the hand of a sadistic force that poses a grave threat to our nation, our allies, and the very foundation of modern society.
ISIS has made their goal clear: Establishing a caliphate across the Middle East and Europe. Harkening back many centuries, they point to medieval history as a roadmap for future territories, and anyone who stands in their way will meet their demise. The success of ISIS has led to the recruitment of thousands of foreign fighters, the most concerning being those holding American or European passports. Success begets success, attracting impressionable individuals prone to extremism to what they believe to be the “winning side.” Hence that success must be stopped.
The first thing we must acknowledge is that America plays an indispensable role. Blessed with a powerful military, command and control, air power, intelligence capability, and robust and lethal special operations forces, America must be ready and willing to support our allies in the region and fighters on the ground. Kurdish Peshmerga forces engaged with frontline ISIS fighters, for example, ought to be granted close air support as they press to liberate territory. As news about lopsided ISIS defeats plaster the airways, those considering joining this group will begin to calculate that this very well may cost their lives. Lower morale will inevitably lead to higher rates of defections and less successful attempts to recruit new members. ISIS recruits will know that no matter where they operate, they will be in danger.
Strategy and tactics for a defeat of ISIS begs far more discussion, but what is obvious is that the role of Congress is not to tie the President’s hands; rather, it is to grant the President the tools and assets he requests for such action. While the President may limit his strategy for political reasons, Congress should not be an accomplice to such a decision. However, President Obama’s request for Authorization of Use of Military Force (AUMF) does just that. It would be the first AUMF that would put Congress on record setting strategic limits on the president and taking options off the table. In essence, his proposal says that the existence of ISIS must be stopped, unless that takes ground troops — in which case the existence of American ground troops would be worse.
As a veteran of our nation’s wars, I take very seriously the importance of destroying our enemies and using necessary force to accomplish that mission. For these reasons, I have introduced H.J. Res 33, an AUMF that would give the President the power, flexibility, and resources to fulfill his role as Commander-in-Chief. I believe the AUMF I have introduced provides the leeway necessary for this and future administrations to destroy ISIS. Most importantly, this would put Congress on record as supporting the mission and would tie neither this President’s hands, nor the next.
