U.S. Senate war powers vote now delayed until at least July

[yota691]

Biden Administration Supports Efforts to Repeal Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq

 

Al Hurra - Washington

June 15, 2021

 

 

The mandate authorized the deployment of US forces in Iraq

The administration of US President Joe Biden said on Monday that it supports efforts in the US Congress to repeal the 2002 authorization for the use of military force, which authorized the declaration of war on Iraq, reinforcing lawmakers' efforts to withdraw the authority to declare war from the White House.

In a statement to the White House, the US administration confirmed "support for the revocation of the 2002 mandate, as the adoption of current military activities by the United States is not limited to the 2002 mandate only as a domestic legal basis, and the revocation of the mandate will have little impact on current military operations."

The US Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, but Congress has passed authorizations to use military force for the president, and some of these authorizations are still in effect, such as the 2002 Iraq authorization, as well as the measure that authorized the fight against Al-Qaeda after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The statement said Biden is committed to working with Congress to ensure the legacy mandates are repealed and replaced with a "narrow, defined" framework to ensure the country continues to protect itself.

At the same time, the statement indicated that the administration will "ensure that Congress has a clear and comprehensive understanding of the
impact of any such action and the threats facing US forces, personnel, and interests around the world."

The administration emphasized that, as it works with Congress to amend existing mandates, "it will be critical to maintain clear authority to confront threats to the United States and protect national interests with the use of appropriately effective and decisive military force."

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote this week on a bill introduced by Democratic Representative Barbara Lee to repeal the Iraq war authorization, and there is no word yet on when the Senate will consider the matter.

In 2019 and 2020, the House voted to repeal the Iraq war authorization, but the Senate has never approved it. The Senate was dominated by Republicans at the time.

Supporters of repealing the "use of force in Iraq" mandate say it is outdated and no longer necessary and has ended its goal of going after Saddam Hussein, but opponents say it would hamper US efforts to combat terrorism, and called for waiting until alternative measures are agreed.

Al Hurra - Washington

[yota691]

The White House supports repealing the law that authorized the war on Iraq

 

4 hours ago

 

Washington: The White House announced Monday that it supports repealing a law passed in 2002 that authorized the United States to enter the war on Iraq under Saddam Hussein, in a decision that requires congressional approval and will have "limited impact" on current operations.

And a statement from the US presidency said that the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden “supports the repeal” of this law that authorized the use of force against Iraq and was issued during the era of former President George W. Bush in October 2002 “because no military activities of the United States are currently taking place exclusively” on This text.

The White House added that repealing the law "will have a limited impact on ongoing military operations."

The House of Representatives, where Democrats have a majority, will vote to repeal the law this week, and the chances of passing the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force law are strong.

After the White House announced its support for repealing the law, Democrats were more optimistic about the vote in the Senate, where the majority is limited to one vote.

"The current operations are being carried out under the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which authorizes the use of force against some terrorist groups," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said.

This text, which was issued after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and which was originally approved to confront Al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, does not specify a time limit or a geographical scope for US military operations.

The Pentagon relies in its foreign operations on this law, in force since 2001, to launch military campaigns in the world.

The chances of repealing this provision issued in 2001 in Congress seem less than that issued in 2002.

But on Monday, the White House seemed to open the way in a small and conditional way to repeal the 2001 text, without explicitly referring to it.

"Biden is determined to work with Congress to ensure that legacy authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow, specific framework that has been adapted to ensure that we continue to protect Americans in the face of terrorist threats," the administration statement said.

"As the administration works with Congress to reform both authorizations for the use of military force, it will be necessary to maintain clear authority to respond to threats to American national interests with decisive and effective military action," the White House said.

(AFP)

 

[yota691]

Biden supports repealing Bush's decision against Iraq

•  Time: 06/15/2021 11:09:10
•  
•  Reading: 4,017 times

  

{Political: Al Furat News} The White House announced that it supports repealing a law issued in 2002 that authorized the United States to enter the war on Iraq during the era of ousted President Saddam, in a decision that requires congressional approval and will have "limited impact" on the current operations.

And a statement by the US presidency said that the administration of President Joe Biden "supports the repeal" of this law that authorized the use of force against Iraq and was issued during the era of former President George W. Bush in October 2002 "because no military activities of the United States are currently taking place exclusively" on this provision .

The White House added that repealing the law "will have a limited impact on ongoing military operations."

The House of Representatives, where Democrats have a majority, will vote to repeal the law this week, and the chances of passing the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force law are strong.

After the White House announced its support for repealing the law, Democrats were more optimistic about the vote in the Senate, where the majority of them are limited to one vote.

"The current operations are being carried out under the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which authorizes the use of force against certain terrorist groups," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said.

This text, which was issued after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and which was originally approved to confront Al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, does not specify a time limit or a geographical scope for US military operations.

The Pentagon relies in its foreign operations on this law, in force since 2001, to launch military campaigns in the world.

The chances of repealing this provision issued in 2001 in Congress seem less than that issued in 2002.

But it seemed that the White House opened the way in a small and conditional way to repeal the 2001 text, without explicitly referring to it.

"Biden is determined to work with Congress to ensure that legacy authorizations for the use of military force are replaced with a narrow, specific framework that has been adapted to ensure that we continue to protect Americans in the face of terrorist threats," the administration statement said.

"As the administration works with Congress to reform both authorizations for the use of military force, it will be necessary to maintain clear authority to respond to threats to American national interests with decisive and effective military action," the White House said.

Ammar Al Masoudi

[currenzcraze]

Sen. Schumer Voices support For Repeal Of 2002 Iraq War Authorization

 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the Democratic leadership speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:00 PM PT – Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced his formal support for repealing the 2002 Authorization of Military Force in Iraq. For the very first time, Schumer voiced his support for the repeal on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

Schumer asserted that revoking the authorization doesn’t mean the U.S. will abandon its allies in Iraq. He insisted this was a way to prevent future administrations from taking advantage of the specific legal authority. The Democrat went on to highlight a similar repeal effort geared toward the Iraq war AUMF.

 

“Next week, Chairman Menendez and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will mark up a resolution led by Senators Young and Kaine, which will repeal the Iraq War AUMF,” he explained. “It is my intention as majority leader to bring this matter to a floor vote this year, and I will discuss the precise timing with Chairman Menendez.”

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on whether to repeal 2002 Iraq war AUMF on Thursday.

[Goggles]

I'm no expert... but isn't there a deadline for repealing a war? Can that even be done? Isn't 19 years later a bit too late? Again... I'm no expert.

[currenzcraze]

House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 20, 2021.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

By Associated Press

Published: Jun. 17, 2021 at 6:21 AM EDT|Updated: 3 hours ago

 

 

 

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-led House, with the backing of President Joe Biden, passed legislation Thursday to repeal the 2002 authorization for use of military force in Iraq, a step supporters said was necessary for Congress to reassert its constitutional duty to weigh in on matters of war while detractors worried that it would embolden militia or terror groups operating in the region. 

The repeal legislation was passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 268-161. Forty-nine Republicans voted for the bill. Only one Democrat, Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia, voted against it.

Supporters said repeal would not affect U.S. military operations around the world, but could prevent current and future presidents from relying on it to conduct unrelated military actions. The White House says there are no ongoing military activities reliant solely upon the 2002 authorization.

The 2002 authorization was directed against the Saddam Hussein regime, authorizing the “necessary and appropriate” use of force to “defend U.S. national security against the continuing threat posed by Iraq” and to “enforce all relevant Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.”

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“Repeal is crucial because the executive branch has a history of stretching the 2002 AUMF’s legal authority,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “It has already been used as justification for military actions against entities that had nothing to do with Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist dictatorship simply because such entities were operating in Iraq.”

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said he agreed the 2002 authorization was outdated, but he argued that Congress should not repeal it without also approving a replacement. 

“We should not encourage any president to go it alone without Article I congressional authorization,” McCaul said. 

Action on the repeal measure follows years of debate over whether Congress has ceded too much of its war-making authority to the White House. Many lawmakers, particularly Democrats, say passage of the 2002 authorization, or AUMF, was a mistake, and some Republicans agree the authority should be taken off the books. Some lawmakers say the 2001 resolution to fight terrorism, passed after the Sept. 11 attacks, should be reexamined as well.

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Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee of California, the bill’s sponsor, said that 87% of the current members of the House were not in Congress in 2002 and that the authorization for military force passed at that time bears no correlation to the threats the nation faces today. She also was the lone vote against the 2001 AUMF following the attacks on Sept. 11.

“To this day, our endless war continues costing trillions of dollars and thousands of lives in a war that goes way beyond any scope that Congress conceived or intended,” Lee said.

The vote came one day after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he intends to bring repeal legislation to the Senate floor this year.

“The Iraq War has been over for nearly a decade,” Schumer said. “The authorization passed in 2002 is no longer necessary in 2021.”

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The White House said Biden is committed to working with Congress to update the authorization with a “narrow and specific framework appropriate to ensure that we can continue to protect Americans from terrorist threats.”

Schumer said he wanted to be clear that legislation terminating the use of force in Iraq does not mean the U.S. is abandoning the country and the shared fight against the Islamic State group. He said the measure would eliminate the possibility of a future administration “reaching back into the legal dustbin to use it as a justification for military adventurism.”

He cited the Washington-directed drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani in January 2020 as an example. 

The Trump administration said Soleimani was plotting a series of attacks that endangered many American troops and officials across the Middle East. The national security adviser at the time, Robert O’Brien, told reporters that President Donald Trump exercised America’s right to self-defense and that the strike was a fully authorized action under the 2002 authorization to use military force.

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“There is no good reason to allow this legal authority to persist in case another reckless commander in chief tries the same trick in the future,” Schumer said.

In the Senate, key lawmakers are working on a bill that would repeal not only the 2002 authorization, but also the 1991 authorization for use of force in Iraq, which remains on the books. The 1991 authorization gave President George H.W. Bush the authority to use force against Iraq to enforce a series of U.N. Security Council resolutions passed in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

The Senate and House would have to work out any differences in their bills and vote on a final product before it can go to Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

In the end, legislation terminating the 2002 authorization will need 60 votes in an evenly divided Senate to overcome procedural hurdles. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he opposes the effort to terminate the authorization.

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“We used it to get Soleimani and there might be another Soleimani out there,” Inhofe said.

McCaul said that the timing of the House’s repeal effort began after that strike.

“Democrats are playing politics with national security in an effort to taint one of President Trump’s biggest national security successes,” McCaul said.

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., said the 2002 legislation gives the military the authority to strike Iranian-backed militia groups “currently attacking Americans in Iraq.”

“This short-sighted apparently political effort to repeal the authority without a replacement sends the wrong message and will embolden the Islamic terror groups and the world’s largest state-sponsor of terror, Iran,” Calvert said.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Fairways&Greens]

These Dem clowns all voted for the authorization back then and they are still in government 😒. 
 

I think this is a declaration they want to pull out of Iraq. If US pulls out, the whole region would start to destabilize further. Maybe if GOI sees this they will have motivation to make a move instead of sitting on their hands?

[3n1]

thanks fairways & greens I'm thinking america will always have a presence in iraq they got the largest US embassy in the world sitting on 103 acres ..... 

when i see your DV moniker i think how i spend a lot of time in the rough , cheers 

Edited June 17, 2021 by 3n1

[Fairways&Greens]

3n1, I hear that. US Open week at Torrey Pines…rough is brutal. 
 

perhaps reversing the authorization for military force in Iraq is symbolic of a change of focus in US-Iraqi relationship towards growth and prosperity; leaving the past behind. I’m sure we will have a presence there forever in that monstrosity of an embassy. 

[Artitech]

What a joke! Biden and his band of thieves are not through with their theft of money out of Iraq! Plus Biden doesn’t know if he is winding his watch or scratching his A$$! 🤠JMHO 

[Theseus]

20 hours ago, Goggles said:

I'm no expert... but isn't there a deadline for repealing a war? Can that even be done? Isn't 19 years later a bit too late? Again... I'm no expert.

The Korean War started in 1950. The United States and North Korea has never formally signed a peace treaty, although an Armistice Agreement was signed by Eisenhower. It was the Armistice Agreement that created the infamous DMZ between the North and South Korea. Most claim that because Eisenhower signed the Armistice Agreement that ended the war in 1954. The Korean War is one of the United States least talked about wars due to the fact that the United States was very unprepared for that war so soon after WWII. The debate lingers on to whether the war officially ended or is nothing more than a long term cease fire. In some circles you will hear that Afghanistan is America's longest war but with only an Armistice Agreement and not a treaty signed it can be argued that the Korean War is America's longest running war, lasting 71 years and counting.

 

So your answer is no.

Edited June 18, 2021 by Theseus

[yota691]

Damage estimated at $25 trillion.

Legal expert: Iraq can get compensation from America after it withdrew the 2003 war authorization

•  Yesterday, 19:24
•  
•  375

Baghdad - IQ  

The legal expert, Ali Al-Tamimi, confirmed, Thursday (June 17, 2021), the possibility of Iraq obtaining compensation from the United States after it abolished the war authorization under which the regime of Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003.

Today, the US Parliament voted to withdraw the mandate under which the United States launched the war on Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime, when George Bush was president of the United States.

Al-Tamimi told  IQ News that the abolition of the law that was issued in 2020 and authorized the United States to wage war on Iraq, came because the war has ended and therefore does not have any effect on repealing the law.

He added that "the abolition of this mandate does not cancel the negative effects of the war on Iraq, and therefore Baghdad can discuss legal ways to claim compensation."

He pointed out that "the damages of this war are estimated at 25 trillion dollars, and Iraq can resort to the International Tribunal to demand financial compensation, and to prosecute the presidents of the United States responsible for the war."

American forces withdrew from Iraq in late 2011, before a few thousand of them returned to help Iraqi forces in the war against ISIS in 2014, and more than 4,000 American soldiers are still deployed in bases on Iraqi soil.

 

[yota691]

US Senate delays vote to revoke president's mandate that authorized war on Iraq

Wednesday, June 23, 2021 05:00 AM

American Senate

 

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has postponed a vote that was supposed to be taken to revoke the president's 20-year-old authorization to use military force, which allowed the war on Iraq, after Republican calls for a postponement until further consultations with diplomatic and national security officials to study the impact of that. step.

 

Committee spokesman Joanne Buchon told Politico that Committee Chairman Bob Mendes had agreed to a request from several Republican members to postpone the vote on repealing the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which indicated that it was inappropriate. So far, it is clear when the vote will take place.

 

Five Republican members of the committee, including Senator Mitt Romney and Senator Mark Rubio, issued a letter calling on Mendes to postpone the vote, and that group is seeking public hearings of the secretaries of state and defense and outside experts, in addition to providing testimony in this regard from the Pentagon and diplomatic and intelligence officials.

 

“We must fully assess conditions on the ground, the implications of repealing the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Act on our friends, and how our enemies – including ISIS and Iran-backed militias – will react to that decision,” the letter said. Our military presence in the region, its potential legal ramifications, and the imminent withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan."

 

Last week, the US House of Representatives supported repealing the law by a large majority, and almost all Democrats support the repeal step, while most Republicans oppose it, and the measure must have the support of the Senate in order to activate the repeal.

[yota691]

JUNE 22, 20213:45 PMUPDATED 18 HOURS AGO

U.S. Senate war powers vote now delayed until at least July

By Reuters Staff

2 MIN READ

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will not vote until at least July on a closely watched effort to repeal the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force that allowed the war in Iraq, after Republican senators requested a public hearing and classified briefing.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee had been due to debate and vote on the repeal at a meeting on Tuesday, but its chairman, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, said he had arranged a briefing for committee members in July after the Republicans’ request.

 

“We will all have an opportunity to hear directly from the administration and to question State and Defense Department officials concerning the proposed repeal,” Menendez said during a committee meeting.

The House of Representatives has already approved the repeal, and President Joe Biden has said he supports it.

 

The Constitution gives the power to declare war to Congress. That authority has shifted to the president, however, due to the “forever war” Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, or AUMFs, which do not expire - including the 2002 Iraq AUMF - passed since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Repeal proponents say it is time to rein in outdated authorities that presidents from both parties have used for a wide range of international military action without congressional approval during the past two decades.

Opponents worry that repeal could dangerously limit presidential powers and send the message that the United States is pulling back from the Middle East.

[yota691]

US Senate delays revocation of Iraq war authorization

 

Friday - 15 Dhu al-Qi'dah 1442 AH - 25 June 2021 AD, issue number [15550]

 

 

(GT)

Washington: Rana Abter

The US Senate postponed the vote to repeal the war authorization in Iraq until next July; The Democratic leaders agreed to the request of some Republicans to postpone the vote pending secret briefings with members of the US administration to learn about any possible repercussions of canceling the mandate on US national security.

The skeptical lawmakers wrote a letter to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, saying, "We must assess conditions on the ground in depth and consider the implications of repealing the 2002 war authorization for our friends," warning of any possible response from the United States' enemies. “Like ISIS and Iran-backed militias” because of the revocation of the mandate.

The Republicans, most notably Senators Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio, stated that it is also necessary to consider "the potential political and judicial ramifications of easing the US presence in the region and the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan."

Menendez, the chair of the committee that was supposed to approve revoking the mandate this week, pledged not to put it to a vote before providing a confidential briefing session for the skeptics, and they also demanded that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and State Department Anthony Blinken present their testimony publicly before the committee to explain the implications of revoking the mandate, in addition to: Hold closed-door meetings with State and Defense officials and the Director of the Office of National Intelligence.

While Menendez indicated the White House's support for canceling the mandate approved by Congress in 2002, he said at the same time that he agreed to the Republicans' request for a postponement because he did not want the repeal vote to be a partisan vote, stressing the importance of the parties agreeing on an important issue from this. Type.

Postponing the vote on this project is not a sign of declining support for it. The Republicans opposed to it have long expressed skepticism in light of their calls for another appropriate mandate to replace the aforementioned mandate, to confront the current threats to the United States, such as those emanating from the extremist militias affiliated with Iran. The White House has expressed its openness to this proposal at a time when Democrats have indicated that the other authorization passed by Congress in 2001 to authorize military operations in Afghanistan to confront terrorist groups is still in effect, and the White House can use it if necessary.

In addition, the US president has powers under Article Two of the Constitution, according to which he can launch military strikes in the event of a direct threat to the national security of the United States. The current president, Joe Biden, used this clause when launching military strikes on Iranian militia sites in Syria, while former President Donald Trump relied on authorizing the war in Iraq to launch a raid that killed the commander of the “Quds Force” Qassem Soleimani.

Last week, the House of Representatives approved the bill to repeal the war mandate in Iraq with a majority of 268 deputies and 161 opposition to it. The bill was sent to the Senate, which must approve it, before officially repealing it.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has vowed to settle the matter this year, saying, "The Iraq war ended more than a decade ago, and that mandate passed in 2002 no longer matters in 2021."

In light of the fear of some that canceling the mandate would negatively affect relations with Iraq, Schumer stressed that the United States will not abandon the relationship it has with the country and its people through this cancellation, noting that the reason for taking such a decision is due to the need to “deter future presidents from resorting to asylum.” to judicial arguments to justify their military adventures,” as he put it.

The project has the support of a number of Republicans; Most notably, Senator Todd Young, who stressed that “repealing the war authorization would send a clear diplomatic message that the United States is no longer an enemy of Iraq; Rather, he is a partner.”

The Congress approved the authorization of the war in Iraq in 2002 to authorize the use of military force against Saddam Hussein's regime. He also approved the 2001 authorization immediately after the September attacks, which allowed then US President George W. Bush to launch military operations in Afghanistan to counter terrorist groups, and Congress does not intend to revoke the 2001 authorization anytime soon.

In addition to the 2001 and 2002 mandates, Congress also passed in 1991 a different mandate that allowed then-President George HW Bush to use military force in Iraq following the invasion of Kuwait, and Congress intends to revoke this mandate in the same vote to repeal the 2002 mandate.