WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden on Friday signaled support for replacing decades-old authorizations for the use of military force in the Middle East, just over a week after relying on authorizations to carry out a retaliatory air strike against the Iranians. supported militia in eastern Syria.
The Biden government announced its position after a bipartisan bill was introduced earlier this week that would revoke the 1991 and 2002 authorizations for the wars in Iraq, which presidents of both parties trusted as a legal justification for carrying out attacks in the region.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden is committed to working with Congress to “ensure that the authorizations for the use of military force currently in place are replaced by a narrow and specific structure that will ensure that we can protect the Americans from terrorist threats at the same time… the eternal wars. ”
Biden spurred a bipartisan reaction last week after ordering the attacks on the premises used by Kataib Hezbollah. The attacks were in response to a rocket attack in early February, which targeted American and civilian troops in northern Iraq, without first seeking Congressional approval. The United States has blamed the militia for several attacks on American officials and interests in Iraq in the past.
Senator Tim Kaine, a leading proponent of the bill, said that reliance on decades-old authorizations for the use of military force “serves no operational purpose, keeps us on a permanent war footing and undermines Iraq’s sovereignty” .
“Last week’s air strikes in Syria show that the executive branch, regardless of the party, will continue to expand its powers of war,” said Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia.
Government officials have defended the air strikes as legal and appropriate, saying they have removed facilities that housed valuable “capabilities” used by Iranian-backed militia groups to attack American and allied forces in Iraq.
But several key members of Congress, including members of Biden’s own party, denounced the attacks – the first military action he authorized. Kaine and others argued that an offensive military action without Congressional approval is not constitutional, without extraordinary circumstances.
The White House signaled support to replace authorizations while warning that the United States may consider military action after a rocket attack earlier this week that hit an air base in western Iraq, where American and coalition troops are housed. An American contractor died after at least 10 rockets hit the base on Wednesday morning.
“If we judge that more responses are needed, we will take action again in the manner and at the time of our choice,” said Psaki.