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Karl: Majority Say Obama Has Been Too Cautious in Responding to ISIL
By: Washington Free Beacon
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Karl: Majority Say Obama Has Been Too Cautious in Responding to ISIL - Video
The White House video that tries to sell Obama #39;s image abroad - LoneWolf Sager
In the latest edition of the White House #39;s "West Wing Week" roundup, President Obama talks jobs before hopping Air Force One on a trip to Europe. The Fix #39;s Chris Cillizza adds his commentary...
By: LoneWolf Sager
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The White House video that tries to sell Obama's image abroad - LoneWolf Sager - Video
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Washington (CNN) -- President Barack Obama told congressional leaders on Tuesday he has the authority to carry out his planned strategy against ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria without authorization from legislators, but he asked for their support to show the nation was united.
Obama "reiterated his belief that the nation is stronger and our efforts more effective when the President and Congress work together to combat a national security threat" like the Sunni jihadists who call themselves the Islamic State, a White House statement said.
"The President told the leaders that he would welcome action by the Congress that would aid the overall effort and demonstrate to the world that the United States is united in defeating the threat," it added.
Earlier, two senior legislators -- one from each party -- told CNN's Dana Bash that a congressional vote on military action against the jihadists was unlikely despite calls for one by many of their colleagues.
While some in Congress want to vote on the matter, taking up such a volatile issue as military action weeks before the November elections may be politically dangerous.
Others in Congress argued the President already has the authority he needs to expand attacks on ISIS under war powers granted more than a decade ago to go after al Qaeda.
Obama has been criticized by conservatives and some Democrats for what they call a timid response so far to the threat by ISIS fighters who emerged from Syria to rampage through northern Iraq.
The President authorized airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq earlier this year, but he now faces pressure to expand the campaign to go after the extremists in Syria.
Obama and his top aides call such a military step one part of a broader strategy against ISIS that includes establishing a stable representative government in Iraq, forming an international coalition including Middle East countries to combat the extremists and increasing military aid to moderate opposition groups in Syria fighting ISIS and the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
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Obama: I have authority to strike ISIS
President Barack Obama will ask Congress to quickly authorize the arming and training of Syrian opposition forces but will press forward without formal sign-off from lawmakers on a broader military and political effort to combat militants in Syria and Iraq, administration officials said Tuesday.
Obama was to outline his plans Wednesday in a rare prime-time address to the nation, a format that underscores the seriousness of the threat posed by the Islamic State militants. The president's broader strategy could include more wide-ranging airstrikes against targets in Iraq and possibly in Syria, and hinges on military and political commitments from allies in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere.
Ahead of his address, the president huddled with congressional leaders at the White House. Following the hourlong discussion, the White House said Obama told lawmakers that he "has the authority he needs to take action" against the Islamic State militants but would still welcome action from Congress that would "aid the overall effort and demonstrate to the world that the United States is united in defeating the threat."
Even before Obama's meeting with Senate and House leaders Tuesday, some lawmakers suggested a congressional vote on the president's plans was unlikely before the midterm elections in November.
"As a practical matter, I don't really see the time that it would take to really get this out and have a full debate and discuss all the issues," said Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
For Obama, a sustained U.S. intervention in the Middle East is at odds with the vision he had for the region when he ran for president on a pledge to end the war in Iraq, where the role of American fighting forces drew to a close nearly three years ago. The timing of his announcement Wednesday night was all the more striking, with Obama's address to the nation scheduled just hours before anniversary commemorations of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Among the president's most urgent priorities will be seeking authorization from Congress to arm more moderate elements of the opposition fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad. The president asked lawmakers earlier this year for a $500 million train-and-equip program, but the plan stalled on Capitol Hill.
With Obama ruling out sending U.S. ground troops into combat in Iraq or Syria, bolstering the capacity of the Iraqi security forces and Syrian opposition will be crucial to efforts to root out the militant group that has moved freely across the blurred border between the two countries. U.S. airstrikes could help give the forces in both countries the space to make gains against the Islamic State.
Administration officials said Obama sees a congressional authorization for a Syrian train-and-equip message as sending a strong signal to allies who are considering similar efforts. Secretary of State John Kerry was traveling to the region for discussions in Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
On Capitol Hill, there was little consensus on the scope of Obama's authorities. While some lawmakers said the president has the authority he needs under the Constitution, others were seeking a more central congressional role in the effort.
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Obama Says He Has Authority for Campaign Against ISIS
President Barack Obama told Congressional leaders Tuesday that he has the authority to take military action against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, the terror group that have taken control of parts of both countries and executed two American journalists.
According to the White House, the president met with Congressional leaders on national security issues and said that he would welcome any actions Congress takes to help in the battle against the militant group, but he doesn't need their approval for action he will announce during a Wednesday address. The leaders did not tell Obama he needed its authorization for any actions to fight ISIS, and Obama did not ask for additional funding for the effort, sources told NBC News. The president also told Congress that he has made progress getting support for the new action from Arab countries in the region, the sources said.
Obama did ask the Congressional leaders for the authority to train the Syrian opposition, a senior administration official told NBC News. He did not get a commitment at the meeting, but House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, said in a statement Tuesday the he supports "training and equipping the Syrian opposition." Boehner also called for deploying U.S. troops to help Iraqi forces combat the militant group.
U.S. Rep Nancy Pelosi, leader of the Democratic minority in the House, said Obama outlined his strategy against ISIS and that We look forward to the President's address to the nation tomorrow evening as he further details the Administration's efforts to combat ISIS and advance our national security."
Obama will speak at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday from the State Floor of the White House.
First published September 9 2014, 2:46 PM
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Obama to Congress: I Have Authority to Act Against ISIS