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Democratic Senator Bill Nelson (Fla.) said today he’ll introduce legislation when Congress returns from recess to give President Barack Obama “clear authority” to order U.S. airstrikes against Islamist militants in Syria, according to TIME.
The announcement comes the same day of the reported beheading of Stephen J. Sotloff whose family’s home is Florida.
TIME:
“This will ensure there’s no question that the President has the legal authority he needs to use airstrikes in Syria,” Nelson said in a statement. “Let there be no doubt, we must go after ISIS right away because the U.S. is the only one that can put together a coalition to stop this group that’s intent on barbaric cruelty.”
The legislation from Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., would trigger a heated debate in Congress. Many lawmakers are dissatisfied with the White House strategy to contain militants who call themselves Islamic State, but others are loath to vote on a thorny foreign policy issue before the November election.
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The senator, a member of the Armed Services Committee, joins others who believe the U.S. already has authority to conduct a military campaign, but Nelson said Tuesday that his legislation would “ensure there’s no question.”
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“We must go after ISIS right away because the U.S. is the only one that can put together a coalition that can stop this group that’s intent on barbaric cruelty,” said Nelson, using an acronym for the group’s former name, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
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Lead photo: An U.S. fighter jet refuels from an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker over Iraq Aug. 21. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shawn Nickel)
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.