From Stars and Stripes:
"Iraq force authorization reopens debate on war"
President Barack Obama’s decision to reverse course and seek a congressional authorization for the war against the Islamic State has so far served only to reignite criticism of his entire military strategy against the extremists. On Thursday, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said any authorization that bars ground troops — Obama has insisted Americans will not wage ground combat — would be dead on arrival in Congress. “I will not support sending our military into harm’s way with their arms tied behind their backs,” said Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif. The day after the midterm elections, Obama appeared to change tack; saying he would welcome Congress’ input. “I’m going to begin engaging Congress over a new authorization to use military force against ISIL,” he said. “The world needs to know we are united behind this effort and the men and women of our military deserve our clear and unified support.” Meanwhile, about six competing authorization bills are now circulating on Capitol Hill and the White House has not yet told lawmakers what it expects from the new war authority, despite requests from congressional leaders. The lack of direction is making the process more difficult, said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who sponsored one of the bills. Kaine has argued that Congress is abdicating its duty under the Constitution to declare war by not voting on the Obama administration’s air and proxy war. His bill would lay out rules for humanitarian operations, counter-terror operations against Islamic State leaders, and the training of regional forces as well as include a sunset clause that would require lawmakers to revisit the use of force after one year. Congress is under mounting pressure to weigh in on the new conflict and decide on parameters for Operation Inherent Resolve as the administration strategy evolves. This week alone, U.S. and coalition forces conducted 23 more air strikes in Iraq and Syria at a cost of about $8 million per day, a total of about $776 million since Aug. 8, to push back the Islamist radicals who have seized large swaths of those countries, according to the Department of Defense. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey told the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday that the military is now considering limited deployment of ground troops to fight alongside Iraqi forces — despite assurances from Obama it would not happen. The administration is now basing its legal justification for the war on authorizations passed by Congress in 2001 after 9/11 and in 2002 about six months before the invasion of Iraq.
"Iraq force authorization reopens debate on war"
President Barack Obama’s decision to reverse course and seek a congressional authorization for the war against the Islamic State has so far served only to reignite criticism of his entire military strategy against the extremists. On Thursday, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said any authorization that bars ground troops — Obama has insisted Americans will not wage ground combat — would be dead on arrival in Congress. “I will not support sending our military into harm’s way with their arms tied behind their backs,” said Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif. The day after the midterm elections, Obama appeared to change tack; saying he would welcome Congress’ input. “I’m going to begin engaging Congress over a new authorization to use military force against ISIL,” he said. “The world needs to know we are united behind this effort and the men and women of our military deserve our clear and unified support.” Meanwhile, about six competing authorization bills are now circulating on Capitol Hill and the White House has not yet told lawmakers what it expects from the new war authority, despite requests from congressional leaders. The lack of direction is making the process more difficult, said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who sponsored one of the bills. Kaine has argued that Congress is abdicating its duty under the Constitution to declare war by not voting on the Obama administration’s air and proxy war. His bill would lay out rules for humanitarian operations, counter-terror operations against Islamic State leaders, and the training of regional forces as well as include a sunset clause that would require lawmakers to revisit the use of force after one year. Congress is under mounting pressure to weigh in on the new conflict and decide on parameters for Operation Inherent Resolve as the administration strategy evolves. This week alone, U.S. and coalition forces conducted 23 more air strikes in Iraq and Syria at a cost of about $8 million per day, a total of about $776 million since Aug. 8, to push back the Islamist radicals who have seized large swaths of those countries, according to the Department of Defense. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey told the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday that the military is now considering limited deployment of ground troops to fight alongside Iraqi forces — despite assurances from Obama it would not happen. The administration is now basing its legal justification for the war on authorizations passed by Congress in 2001 after 9/11 and in 2002 about six months before the invasion of Iraq.
^ This is not surprising. Obama always says one thing and does something else. He is as close to LBJ as you can get (minus LBJ's domestic policies.) It was clear from the beginning (at least to those of us with eyes and ears) that Obama was going to send in ground troops to Iraq even though he said he never would because he knows he made things much worse for Iraq and the US when he completely withdrew US soldiers in 2011. He is now trying to backtrack on everything. He has nothing to fear since his popularity is already at an all-time low and he can't be re-elected. To all those who voted for him a second time (after seeing what he did and did not do during his first term) I say: "Told you so!" People drank the kool-aid he gave them even after years of seeing him do nothing in both domestic and international affairs. ^
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