<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/1562" target="_blank">http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/1562</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>
Just Foreign Policy Calls for Robust Public Debate on Provisions of Any Iraq, Syria AUMF<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal">For Immediate Release:
September 26, 2014</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Contact: Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy, </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="tel:%28202%29%20448-2898%20x1" value="+12024482898" target="_blank">(202) 448-2898 x1</a>, <a href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">naiman@justforeignpolicy.org</a></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Washington, DC — September 26, 2014 <br>
<br>
In response to President Obama’s remarks to the United Nations General Assembly
calling on the international community to confront ISIL, Just Foreign Policy
released the following statement by Policy Director Robert Naiman:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“By his statements and actions since June in the United
States and abroad, President Obama has made clear the broad outlines of his
plans to confront ISIL in Iraq and Syria. But with the noteworthy exception of
voting to authorize, with transparency and accountability provisions made
possible by demands from Republican and Democratic Members for an independent
vote, the President’s plans for arming and training Syrian insurgents to
confront ISIL in Syria, Congress has so far avoided exercising its
Constitutional responsibility to weigh in on the President’s plans by debating
and voting on authorizations of force for Iraq or Syria.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“It now appears likely that when Congress returns from
recess after the November election – three months after the U.S. began bombing
Iraq in August - Congress will debate and vote on authorizations of force for
Iraq and Syria. The no votes on an Iraq or Syria AUMF will be important
benchmarks for future opposition to endless war. But equally important will be
whether any AUMFs that pass Congress contain provisions that address
longstanding democracy and rule of law issues with the 2001 AUMF. Important
provisions that have been proposed include giving any AUMF an expiration date,
so that it would have to be renewed in order for war to continue; sunsetting
the 2001 AUMF, to compel Congress to revise it; repealing the 2002 AUMF for
Iraq; prohibiting the use of ground combat troops; requiring regular, public
reporting on civilian casualties from U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and Syria;
requiring a consistent standard for compensation of harm to civilians from U.S.
airstrikes in Iraq and Syria; and monitoring the success of U.S. efforts to
press its Gulf Arab allies to crack down on terrorism finance and terrorism
ideology finance, as the President referenced in his UNGA speech.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Three Democrats have introduced authorizations of force.
Each of these proposals has a sunset provision. Senator Kaine’s sunset is the
shortest at 1 year. Representative Schiff’s sunset is 18 months. Senator
Nelson’s sunset is 3 years. Among Democrats, the principle that any new
authorization of force should have a sunset provision is now well established.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Senator Kaine’s proposed one year sunset has been
criticized on the grounds that the Pentagon says the war against ISIL will
require more than 1 year. This relationship is not a demerit of Senator Kaine’s
proposal, but a virtue. It is widely acknowledged that the U.S. – led international
campaign against Al Qaeda and its associated forces has transformed
significantly and repeatedly since the Al Qaeda attacks on the United States on
September 11, 2001, and will continue to change in the future. To ensure
effective Congressional, media, and public oversight, it is essential for
Congress to publicly and predictably revisit the broad outlines of U.S. policy
in this campaign. Discussion of the classified details of prospective military
operations is properly confined to the Congressional intelligence committees.
But a periodic, prominent debate on the broad outlines of policy properly belongs
on the floor of the House and the floor of the Senate where the American people
and national media can see it.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“The Framers of the War Powers Resolution understood, based
on Congress’ experience during the Vietnam War, that it was essential to
guarantee that Members of Congress could compel floor debates and votes on wars
that had already begun in response to mission creep and new information that
Congress may not have had when force was originally authorized. A logical
extension of this principle is to insist that any future AUMF have an
expiration date, as many other grants of authority from Congress to the
Executive do, to ensure that the decision to grant such authority will be
periodically revisited in light of experience and new information.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus have introduced
a resolution - H. Con. Res. 114 - that established a set of four principles for
consideration of an Iraq or Syria AUMF. The resolution says that Congress: <br>
<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0.5in">- should debate and vote on whether
the U.S. should be involved in sustained combat in Iraq or Syria; </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0.5in">- does not support the deployment
of ground combat troops in Iraq or Syria; </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0.5in">- should ensure that any grant of
authority for force is narrowly tailored and limited; and </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0.5in">- should ensure that any grant of
authority for force includes robust reporting requirements.”</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Seven thousand Americans have already stated their support
for the CPC principles in <a>a
petition at MoveOn</a>. Polls show that the public wants full Congressional
debate. Members of Congress should show their support for the public will by creating
and endorsing initiatives like H. Con. Res. 114.”</p>
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</div><div><br></div>===<span><font color="#888888"><div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr">Robert Naiman<br>Policy Director<br>Just Foreign Policy<br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">www.justforeignpolicy.org</a><br><a href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">naiman@justforeignpolicy.org</a><br><div><span style="text-align:left"><a href="tel:%28202%29%20448-2898%20x1" value="+12024482898" target="_blank">(202) 448-2898 x1</a></span><br></div><div><br></div></div></div></div></font></span></div>
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