Washington: Three of America’s top national security officials face questions in Congress about new war powers being drafted to fight Islamic State militants, Iran’s sphere of influence and hotspots across the Mideast.Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will testify on Wednesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in a high-profile hearing that likely will cover a myriad of US foreign policy issues.
The hearing is being conducted to get more details on what the Obama administration wants to see in a new authorization for the use of military force against IS. In seeking a new authorization, the White House must reconcile demands from Democrats who don’t want another ground war with the concerns
of Republicans who want that option left open. Legislation will set up the first war vote in Congress in 13 years.
On February 11, President Barack Obama released his proposed authorisation. It would allow the use of military force against IS for three years, unbounded by national borders. The fight could be extended to any “closely related successor entity” to the IS, which has overrun parts of Iraq and Syria. He ruled out large-scale US ground combat operations reminiscent of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Initial reaction in Congress amounted to bipartisan skepticism, with much of the dissatisfaction centered on Obama’s attempt to find a political middle ground with respect to ground forces.
