Lindsey Graham wants war on the Islamic State — with no limits

[jpak]

Source: Washington Post

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is readying an authorization of military force against the Islamic State that would allow the United States to attack the militant group's allies anywhere, and with no timetables.

"ISIL is a more credible threat to our homeland than al-Qaeda," Graham said in an interview, referring to the Islamic State by one of its other names. "We need to have an authorization of force that is not limited by geography, time, or means."

The resolution, which Graham plans to officially introduce after the Thanksgiving recess, is being shaped and shopped around to senators on Wednesday. "No geographic limits are placed on American military or intelligence services in the fight against ISIL," reads the outline of the in-process legislation. "No expiration date. No prohibition on sending American forces on the ground to combat ISIL. No prohibitions on the ability of the United States to disrupt online terrorist recruitment activities, online terrorist propaganda, or terrorist communications."

All of that makes Graham's AUMF further-reaching than any comparable ones — none of which have gotten traction in Congress. The Obama administration has favored an authorization of force with a three-year limit, a non-starter among Republican hawks. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) has drafted a war authorization that would also place limits on ground troops, and end the 2001 and 2002 authorizations of force against (respectively) al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussain's Iraq. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), two freshmen who have campaigned for a new AUMF, wrote in Time magazine Wednesday that their own details need to be worked out. "Questions about whether to 'sunset' an ISIS-specific AUMF and what to do about the 14-year-old statute which currently serves as the administration’s legal underpinning for action against ISIS, remain," they acknowledged.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/11/18/lindsey-graham-wants-war-on-the-islamic-state-with-no-limits/

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Beat keeps poundin' a rhythm to the brain...

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. leading to a world war.

Oh, goodie.

[oldandhappy]

2. and where is YOUR uniform Mr. Graham?

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. Probably in his closet, to be fair

He's currently JAG in the Air Force reserve.

[oldandhappy]

13. gosh

It is so hard to be fair, giggle.

Thanks. Did not know.

[24601]

18. He's retired now after reaching mandatory retirement age (60) for his rank (Colonel).

He deployed to Iraq in 2007 and Afghanistan in 2009 during Senate recesses.

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. Ah, thanks...I thought 2015 under reserve meant "to present"

[Scarsdale]

22. What?

Isil seems to be at war with anyone who is not them. France acted immedicately, started bombing the camps. Unlike W/Cheney, who attacked the wrong (to any person with a brain) country. Israel seems to like putting US forces in harms way, send their troops. Let other countries take their turn fighting terrorists, why do all the $$$$ have to be from the US? Publish a list of all politicians who have stock in weapons companies. Tell everyone how much they all get for pimping out wars, where other peoples kids get killed or maimed.

[tavernier]

38. Well at least he served.

I have more respect for him than the Donald or the doc who can't seem to stay awake.

I don't agree with him, but I'd rather he debated HC or BS than two guys who can't even point to a map and find a country in the Middle East!

[MADem]

43. Reservist lawyer! I'm sure he's gotten a few paper cuts in the line o'duty!

CHAAAAARGE!!!!!!!! (that on my Government AMEX card!!!!!).......

[valerief]

3. Unlimited war = unlimited war profits! nt

[Volaris]

40. Yep...War without End, Amen.

I agree with the above poster tho; at least he served. For that, he gets to have his opinion taken under consideration before being rejected as completely bone-headed and dangerous.

[jmondine]

4. What a coincidence. That's what ISIS wants, too.

Feeding right into them, Lindsey boy.

[phantom power]

7. What worries me is, both our wingnuts and their wingnuts are jonesing for the End Times

And they both appear to see some kind of Middle East World War III as part of that vision.

[phantom power]

5. I'd like all the "war of civilizations" cheerleaders on record about their 2nd-coming beliefs

There is a disturbingly large influence of biblical end-times prophecy, and the desire to try and bring it about in our lifetimes, among these people. It motivates their entire point of view with respect to Middle East policy.

[pangaia]

37. I suspect that is a bigger issue than most may think.

[rtracey]

6. pssssh

Another war mongering idiot.... just like Jeb and McCain

[EndElectoral]

8. And this is one reason why this guy doesn't get into the Repub Debates with the big boys.

[JackRiddler]

15. This comment does not hold water.

All of the "big boys" (except maybe Rand Paul) hold positions indistinguishable from Graham's. Trump on alternate days - he's also said to let Putin take care of the problem.

[AgingAmerican]

9. Their goal is to lure us into war

The bigger the better.

[McKim]

27. Yes, They Want a Big Big War

Yes, the news media seems to be whipping the world up into a frenzy. It is so dangerous. Sad that 129 people die in Iraq about every other day, but it just makes a news blip about another bombing at a market. Now every world monument is lit up with the tricolour, bombing in Beirut ignored too. What is behind and who is behind this well orchestrated international media campaign?

[AgingAmerican]

29. What they want is a nuclear war

They want to get nuked. They are trying to bring on the end of the world to fulfill some loony crap from the Koran.

They want the US involved because US involvement is their best recruiting tool.

[hibbing]

10. Not like we haven't been in perpetual warfare somewhere for decades already n/t

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

12. I'll agree they are worse than Al Qaeda when ISIS blows up the empire state and the smithsonian.

[Jesus Malverde]

14. If your listen to his congressional inquiry he's much more interested in using them to

Topple Assad.

[mitch96]

16. More war?

Good, reenact the draft and send your military age relatives first. Lets see how that works for you...
m

[thebighobgoblin]

17. In this case, unfortunately, I think war *is* necessary.

But not the unfettered discretion to wage it, or without a clear purpose, however.

[freshwest]

20. A world war is unfettered as its purpose is annihilation. n/t

[SHRED]

21. Chickenhawk

[muntrv]

23. In other words, do what we did in Iraq. 'Cuz that worked so well, right?

[newfie11]

24. Lindsey Graham can go fight his own war

Wonder how much money he gets from the MIC!!!!

[trueblue2007]

25. when will these politicians learn? NO MORE WAR!!!!!

when will these politicians learn? NO MORE WAR!!!!! let GOPig Lindsey Graham go to war!!! This rat bag old guy - put him on the front line.
IF THIS HAPPENS, YOU FIND ME IN THE STREETS MARCHING AND PROTESTING AGAINST WAR.

[lastlib]

26. THIS is why you're at one percent (or less), Lindy-poo!

[caprichoso]

28. Republicans should not give anyone foreign policy advice

After Iraq.

[TwilightGardener]

30. The MIC and neocons want a do-over. They feel they've learned their lessons from Iraq and

Afghanistan, and would like a chance to have a war finally go right and be popular. Just give them one more chance, America.

[yurbud]

31. can somebody explain how they are a credible military threat to the US?

[TwilightGardener]

32. They can commit acts of terror, obviously. They've already killed Americans.

They're extremely threatening and destabilizing in the ME, Africa, and now Europe. I support bombing the bejeezus out of them wherever and whenever possible, killing their funding, etc.--but that's obviously not making enough defense industry players enough money. That's just a little snack, and the bloodsuckers want a MEAL. There's nothing like a big new occupation (and all the contractor $$$ and defense budget increases it will entail) to make our rulers very happy.

[yurbud]

34. cutting off their funding from our allies and stopping their oil exports would be even cheaper

[TwilightGardener]

35. Yes. Amazing no one can seem to do that, over a year later.

[yurbud]

36. but it's so hard to see oil tankers in an open desert...

[Vinca]

33. On a brighter note, guess what I found today?

Lindsay Graham's supporter. I knew there had to be one and there, right before my eyes, was a Lindsay Graham bumper sticker on a car in front of me. I could barely believe my eyes.

[jmowreader]

39. There's a very easy way to nip this one right in the bud

Simply amend Graham's proposed AUMF to require the spending it will require be balanced by immediate increases in all taxes EXCEPT for the lowest three income-tax brackets, elimination of the preferential capital gains tax rate (instead taxing capital gains the way wages are), and that no domestic spending may be cut to help ease the pain of the idle rich. At the same time, defense contractors will be required to reduce the pay of their employees to no more than the annual earnings of the commander of the 101st Airborne Division, and use the savings to cut the price of the weapons they're selling us.

[Volaris]

41. Lol yeah that would most likely do it.

[jmowreader]

42. Even better...

We issue each Member of Congress a randomly selected enlisted person. (Just to be nice, we'll randomly select them from the ranks of Army and Marine staff sergeants, Navy petty officers first class and Air Force technical sergeants.) Each Member will be paid exactly the same as his or her Designated Troop. If the Designated Troop gets killed while overseas, we pay the Member a lump sum of $100,000 to represent a Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance payout - the maximum payout to actual troops is $400,000 now but if we paid a Member that much they'd only spend it on booze and tattoos - then quit paying them until (1) they get voted out of office, no resignations will be accepted, or (2) they end the fucking war.

Come on, people. This country is THICK with fucking terrorists we don't do jack shit about. They've got names like Dylann Roof, James Eagan Holmes and Adam Lanza. We'll probably never again suffer the grief of Islamic Terrorism because the Islamic Terrorists feel outmatched by the terrorists we grow right here.

[madokie]

45. I'll hang with you on this

[IronLionZion]

44. And Lindsey is going to be right on the front lines leading our troops right?

since the problem with the last few wars are those pesky "limits".



Seriously, i've had freepers tell me that liberals are putting too many limits on our troops (and too many gays, minorities, and women) which makes America weak. And that Russia is doing well because they don't have any limits on killing innocent civilians or using white phosphorous or just dropping the cheap non-guided bombs to fall wherever they may, sometimes in the completely wrong country.

And more than a few have stated that Russia is re-establishing themselves as a world superpower and making America look bad as a way to sell their planes and missiles to other countries.