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Washington: Top US Republicans are weighing a new legal authorization for President Barack Obama's fight against the Islamic State group, one that could leave the door open for ground troop deployments.
Speaker Paul Ryan is canvasing support among key party leaders in the House of Representatives for a new authorization for the use of military force, according to leadership aides.
The White House and its political foes have sparred over a vote on the measure, which Republicans fear could be seen as an unwarranted endorsement of Obama's policies in an election year.
The current US air bombing and special operations campaign in Syria and Iraq is based on a broad reading of an existing authorization -- or AUMF -- that was forged in 2001 in the immediate wake of the 9/11 attacks.
"We believe the current AUMF is still sufficient, but I think we owe it to people to explore looking into a new one," one leadership aide told AFP. "To show we are united behind fighting ISIS," or Islamic State.
The White House has repeatedly bludgeoned the Republican-controlled Congress for not backing new measures, accusing them of undermining the fight against the jihadist group.
"For more than a year, Congress has been AWOL on their responsibility," said White House Spokesman Josh Earnest in recent remarks that have been often echoed by the administration.
The White House argues that while a new authorization is not necessary, it "would demonstrate to our allies and to our enemies that the US is united in its efforts to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL." ISIL is another acronym for the Islamic State group.
Any vote would be perilous for Republicans, but could also provide a political opportunity.
The party could outflank Democrats by implicitly or explicitly allowing the use of ground troops by Obama or his successor, something Democrats oppose.
The House Republican leadership is "not ruling anything in or out," according to the aide, adding that it is still too early to say whether a vote can be held.
Despite fierce public pressure to expand the US military role in the Middle East, Obama has repeatedly dismissed the idea of another costly ground war in the Middle East.
"We need to give the Obama administration what it needs to fight ISIS, while at the same time preventing another large-scale commitment of American forces or an open-ended conflict in the Middle East," said Eliot Engel, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Even if the measure passes the House, Republicans in the Senate have long been opposed.
AFP
