President Obama sent a letter to Congress formally requesting the authorization to use military forces against the Islamic State.

President Obama outlined his main points in his request stating that, “our core objective is to destroy ISIL.” The President made it clear that his intentions are not to deploy ground troops to Iraq or Syria, according to CNN,.

“It is not the authorization of another ground war, like Afghanistan or Iraq,”Obama said. 

He added that the authorization would permit the flexibility to deploy Special Operation forces in unforeseen circumstances.

According to the Washington Post, the authorization doesn’t include geographic limitation in the possibility of an extension of the war. The request would permit ongoing airstrikes and U.S. military training of local forces for the next three years.

Many congressmen felt that the request was too vague and didn’t go far enough. CNN reports that Republican leaders insist that the President should have fewer limitations.

“If we are going to defeat this enemy, we need a comprehensive military strategy and a robust authorization, not one that limits our options,” House Speaker John Boehner said in a statement Tuesday, “Any authorization for the use of military force must give our military commanders the flexibility and authorities they need to succeed and protect our people…I have concerns that the president’s request does not meet this standard.”

Sources:

 http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/politics/isis-aumf-white-house-congress/index.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-makes-formal-request-for-war-authorization-against-islamic-state/2015/02/11/881cc0b0-b1f7-11e4-886b-c22184f27c35_story.html