Evan Vucci/AP
White House: Authorization of Force Language is 'Intentionally' Fuzzy
White House Press Secretary John Earnest said Wednesday that the request provides "flexibility" in responding to "contingencies" on the ground.
President Obama on Wednesday sent to Congress a draft resolution on the authorization for the use of force against the terrorist group Islamic State. Lawmakers are now going to review it, and the language they're going to find, said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, is "intentionally" fuzzy.
When CNN reporter Jim Acosta asked whether AUMF request provisions were "fuzzy," Earnest said they were "intentionally so," in order to give the president more authority to respond to a changing situation in the ground in the Middle east.
"We believe it's important that there aren't overly burdensome constraints that are placed on the commander-in-chief who needs the flexibility to be able to respond to contingencies that emerge in a chaotic military conflict," Earnest said.
The resolution describes the Islamic State as "a grave threat to the people and territorial integrity of Iraq and Syria, regional stability, and the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners." The use of U.S. armed forces, as detailed in the draft, is up to the discretion of the president as he "determines to be necessary and appropriate." The draft does not include geographic limitations, though it states that Obama "shall report to Congress at least once every six months."
This is the first war powers vote in Congress since President George W. Bush requested to use force in Iraq in 2002. The request comes a day after the White House confirmed the murder of American aid worker Kayla Mueller by Islamic State militants.
Mueller, along with James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig—other American hostages killed by the Islamic State—are mentioned in the resolution.
On the Capitol, members of Congress have stated their support for Obama's request but remain skeptical on broader definitions that could grant the president greater powers. Congress has been askingfor the AUMF for months, but it's not expected to pass swiftly as exact measures are debated among both parties.
In a letter accompanying the draft, the president highlighted that the administration "would not authorize long-term, large-scale ground combat operations like those our nation conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The U.S. began drone strikes targeting Islamic State militants in August.