Syria strike: Time to end forever wars
Last week, President Joe Biden authorized airstrikes in Syria against Iranian-backed militias. Whatever the justification for such strikes, they have rightly prompted bipartisan congressional action to curtail the virtually limitless power of the executive branch to unilaterally carry out acts of war against nations American officially isn’t at war with.
President Biden’s strikes in Syria were reportedly in response to rocket attacks on American forces in Iraq.
Given the convoluted web of America’s forever wars in the region, the decision was made to strike militias in Syria in retaliation.
This week, Democratic Sens. Chris Coons of Delaware and Tim Kaine of Virginia joined with Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana to reintroduce legislation to repeal the two authorizations for use of military force passed in 1991 and 2002 pertaining to Iraq.
“Last week’s airstrikes in Syria show that the executive branch, regardless of party, will continue to stretch its war powers,” Sen. Kaine said. “Congress has a responsibility to not only vote to authorize new military action, but to repeal old authorizations that are no longer necessary.”
The effort has received the support of Sens. Mike Lee, RUtah, Tammy Duckworth, DIllinois, Chuck Grassley, RIowa, Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and Rand Paul, R-Kentucky.
We encourage California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla to join them.
The time has come for Congress to reassert its constitutional authority over warmaking and end the blank checks granted to the executive branch to wage wars of diminishing relevance to U.S. national security.
If it is in fact in America’s national security interests to remain bogged down in the region, the least that Americans deserve is for their representatives to make clear where they stand on the matter by voting on it.
The termination of old AUMFs, including the one approved after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, have long been called for.
Outdated, broadly written AUMFs shouldn’t be allowed to run in perpetuity. All that does is invite the executive branch to unilaterally deepen military commitments that should be subject to congressional approval and oversight.
The termination of old AshFs, including the one approved after the attacks of nept. 11, 2001, have long been called for.
Sen. Lee was right to note: “When authorizations for the use of military force remain on the books long past a conflict’s conclusion, they become ripe for abuse, expanding far beyond congressional intent.”
AUMFs aimed at al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein have inexplicably morphed into justifications for military activities in countries ranging from Pakistan to Somalia to Syria to Yemen.
Having spent trillions of dollars and spilled the blood of hundreds of thousands of people, the least Congress can do is vote on whether these commitments must continue. If Congress has any sense, it would realize they shouldn’t and that it’s time to end these forever wars.