AFP, Washington :
Democrats on a Senate panel on Thursday unanimously supported a new authorisation for military force against Islamic State jihadists without US ground troops, signalling their willingness to tie President Barack Obama’s hands on war policy.
In a party-line vote, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a three-year authorisation for use of military force that would supercede the open-ended AUMF’s passed in 2001 and 2002 in the aftermath of Al Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks on the United States.
The US-led coalition has already carried out some 1,100 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq since September targeting IS extremists in a bid to defeat the group, which has seized large swathes of territory, executed opponents and imposed harsh Islamic law.
Under the US Constitution, Congress has ultimate power whether to declare war.
There is broad consensus that lawmakers should fully debate the use of military force in Iraq and Syria, but that will occur in 2015 under a Republican-controlled Congress.
Democrats went on record however stressing the need to retain the power on declaring war, and underscoring their opposition to the White House’s open-ended use of 12-year-old authorisations to conduct military action today.
The new AUMF would “envision boots on the ground, they’re just not American boots,” argued Democratic committee chairman Senator Robert Menendez.
He also warned that Congress taking no action would allow the White House to keep acting under earlier war-on-terror authorisation.
“If we wait for an administration – this or any other one – to send us their language for an AUMF and they never do it… they have a veto over the constitutional imperatives and prerogatives to declare war,” he said.
Obama has sent 3,100 US military advisers into the field to help coordinate the battle against IS, and said he was relying on the previous authorisation against the Taliban and other “terrorists” of 2001, and the Iraq invasion authorisation of 2002, to do so. Many US lawmakers contest the legality of such actions.
“This is really in many ways a standoff between the parties… but also with the administration,” Senate Democrat Barbara Boxer acknowledged.
Audit clears Islamic Relief of terror funding claim
Britain’s biggest Islamic charity says an audit of its activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has found no evidence to support accusations it has funded terrorism.
Islamic Relief Worldwide denied claims made first by Israel and later the United Arab Emirates and hired leading auditors to review its West Bank work.
The charity works with international organisations and governments, such as Unicef and the World Food Programme.
Brussels report adds: NATO is reviewing an Iraqi request for help building up its military as the government struggles to beat back extremist Islamic State (IS) jihadists, the alliance said Thursday.
“Iraq has now requested NATO support in defence capacity building,” alliance head Jens Stoltenberg told regional partners at the NATO and Gulf Security conference in Qatar on Thursday.
The IS group “poses a grave threat to the Iraqi and the Syrian people, the wider region and all of our nations,” he added. IS made huge gains earlier this year, advancing to Baghdad’s doorstep and stoking fears the militants might seize control of the country from the hapless Iraqi government.
A new Iraqi administration, formed under US pressure and supported by a Washington-led anti-IS coalition, has managed to hold the line, but has repeatedly asked for more help to drive IS back
Democrats on a Senate panel on Thursday unanimously supported a new authorisation for military force against Islamic State jihadists without US ground troops, signalling their willingness to tie President Barack Obama’s hands on war policy.
In a party-line vote, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved a three-year authorisation for use of military force that would supercede the open-ended AUMF’s passed in 2001 and 2002 in the aftermath of Al Qaeda’s 9/11 attacks on the United States.
The US-led coalition has already carried out some 1,100 airstrikes in Syria and Iraq since September targeting IS extremists in a bid to defeat the group, which has seized large swathes of territory, executed opponents and imposed harsh Islamic law.
Under the US Constitution, Congress has ultimate power whether to declare war.
There is broad consensus that lawmakers should fully debate the use of military force in Iraq and Syria, but that will occur in 2015 under a Republican-controlled Congress.
Democrats went on record however stressing the need to retain the power on declaring war, and underscoring their opposition to the White House’s open-ended use of 12-year-old authorisations to conduct military action today.
The new AUMF would “envision boots on the ground, they’re just not American boots,” argued Democratic committee chairman Senator Robert Menendez.
He also warned that Congress taking no action would allow the White House to keep acting under earlier war-on-terror authorisation.
“If we wait for an administration – this or any other one – to send us their language for an AUMF and they never do it… they have a veto over the constitutional imperatives and prerogatives to declare war,” he said.
Obama has sent 3,100 US military advisers into the field to help coordinate the battle against IS, and said he was relying on the previous authorisation against the Taliban and other “terrorists” of 2001, and the Iraq invasion authorisation of 2002, to do so. Many US lawmakers contest the legality of such actions.
“This is really in many ways a standoff between the parties… but also with the administration,” Senate Democrat Barbara Boxer acknowledged.
Audit clears Islamic Relief of terror funding claim
Britain’s biggest Islamic charity says an audit of its activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has found no evidence to support accusations it has funded terrorism.
Islamic Relief Worldwide denied claims made first by Israel and later the United Arab Emirates and hired leading auditors to review its West Bank work.
The charity works with international organisations and governments, such as Unicef and the World Food Programme.
Brussels report adds: NATO is reviewing an Iraqi request for help building up its military as the government struggles to beat back extremist Islamic State (IS) jihadists, the alliance said Thursday.
“Iraq has now requested NATO support in defence capacity building,” alliance head Jens Stoltenberg told regional partners at the NATO and Gulf Security conference in Qatar on Thursday.
The IS group “poses a grave threat to the Iraqi and the Syrian people, the wider region and all of our nations,” he added. IS made huge gains earlier this year, advancing to Baghdad’s doorstep and stoking fears the militants might seize control of the country from the hapless Iraqi government.
A new Iraqi administration, formed under US pressure and supported by a Washington-led anti-IS coalition, has managed to hold the line, but has repeatedly asked for more help to drive IS back
