On the heels of reports that ISIS forces have utterly routed the Iraqi military in Ramadi this week, capital of Anbar province outside of Baghdad, pressure on the Obama administration to step up U.S. involvement is mounting.
Speaker of the House John Boehner called on President Obama to “start over” on his previous plan for how the U.S. intends to combat the growing ISIS threat in the Middle East amid its continued growth in recruitment and military victories.
Boehner argued that Obama’s proposed Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) is actually a reduction of the authority he already has to order military action against ISIS. Calling it an “irresponsible” measure, Republicans argue that AUMF in its current state restricts military commanders and offers no real strategy for combating ISIS.
While the proposal has languished in Congress since February, ISIS has added to its nexus of control centers. At the same time, they have been consolidating alliances with other regional terror groups like Boko Haram and al Qaeda.