Breaking news
U.S. President Barack Obama’s proposed authorization to use military force against IS in Iraq.
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Defence & Security News - United States
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| U.S. President Barack Obama’s proposed authorization to use military force against IS in Iraq. | |||
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U.S. President Barack Obama’s proposed authorization to use military force (AUMF) against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is flexible enough to allow for the full range of military scenarios, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told a Senate panel.
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 An F/A-18E Super Hornet from the Strike Fighter Squadron 81 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson as the ship conducts flight operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, Jan. 2, 2015. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class John Philip Wagner Jr. |
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The proposed AUMF takes into account the reality that ISIL as an organization is likely to evolve strategically, he said, morphing, rebranding and associating with other terrorist groups as it continues to threaten the United States and its allies.
The proposed AUMF provides flexibility in military means to prevail against ISIL, with one exception, the secretary added. “The proposed AUMF does not authorize long-term, large-scale offensive ground combat operations like those we conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan, because our strategy does not call for them,” he added. “Instead, local forces must provide the enduring presence needed for an enduring victory against ISIL.” The proposed AUMF expires in three years, although no one knows if the campaign will be completed over that time, the secretary said, adding that he understands the reason for the proposed sunset provision. “It derives from the important principle stemming from the Constitution that makes the grave matter of enacting an authorization for the use of military force a shared responsibility of the president and Congress,” Carter said. The U.S. president has authorized U.S. Central Command to work with partner nations to conduct targeted airstrikes of Iraq and Syria codenamed "OPERATION INHERENT RESOLVE" as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. Under the command of Lt. Gen. James L. Terry, the international coalition aims to rely on Iraqi security and new Syrian forces ground troops by building its military capacity, while leveraging U.S. and coalition air power to defeat Daesh. |
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