Dec 03 2015

Graham to Introduce Authorization for Use of Military Force Against ISIL

Contact: Kevin Bishop (864) 250-1417 or Clint Riddle (202) 224-5972

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today introduced an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), its associated forces, and any successor organizations.

“The AUMF I introduced today will not limit us in terms of time, geography, or means in the fight against ISIL,” said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “It will show our enemies and friends alike that we will destroy ISIL wherever they reside, fight them as long as they pose a threat, and that we are ‘All-In’ when it comes to their destruction. We have two choices regarding ISIL – fight them in their backyard or fight them in ours. I choose to fight them in their backyard.”

Graham noted his expansive AUMF includes these major provisions:

• Use of military force by the United States is authorized to destroy ISIL.

• No geographic limits are placed on American military in the fight against ISIL. The destruction of ISIL is a top national security priority. The attacks in Lebanon, France, and Egypt have shown that ISIL’s efforts aren’t limited by the borders of Syria and Iraq. As such, the Graham AUMF ensures that we can fight ISIL wherever, whenever, and however.

• No expiration date. Artificial time limits and expiration dates serve to embolden the enemy and encourage them to wait out the United States. We will take as long as we need to destroy ISIL.

• No prohibition on sending American forces on the ground to combat ISIL. ISIL cannot be destroyed by air power alone. It will require forces on the ground to destroy the Caliphate and liberate innocent civilians living under ISIL control.

• No prohibitions on the ability of the United States to disrupt online terrorist recruitment activities, online terrorist propaganda, or terrorist communications. ISIL has proven to have a shrewd understanding and adaptation to the use of social media, the Internet, and online communication. The United States will bring the full force of our technological arsenal to bear in the fight against ISIL.

“We must allow this President and every future President to do whatever is necessary to destroy ISIL before they hit us here at home,” said Graham. “This authorization mirrors the approach we took against al-Qaeda after 9/11.”

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