'ISIS Will Lose.' Obama Request Draws Skepticism
President Barack Obama is asking Congress to authorize use of military force against the Islamic State, promising the terrorist group is "going to lose."
"There is only one option: with our allies and partners we are going to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group," Obama said Wednesday afternoon.
He made his request to Congress saying the Islamic State, or ISIL as he calls it, could pose a threat to the U.S. homeland if their violent power grab goes unchecked.
"It threatens American personnel and facilities located in the region and is responsible for the deaths of U.S. citizens James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Abdul-Rahman Peter Kassig, and Kayla Mueller," he said. "If left unchecked, ISIL will pose a threat beyond the Middle East, including to the United States homeland."
The president said he's not calling for the deployment of U.S. ground combat forces, and his proposal limits the use of military force to three-years.
But the move is running into skepticism from both sides of the aisle.
Did the president wait too long? Dr. Mary Manjikian, associated professor at Regent University's School of Government, answers why he's making the request now and more above.
Watch her response to President Obama's statement below.
Democrats like Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont want more restrictions on possible war powers. And some are even questioning if the United States needs to do anything about the Islamic State.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., said he didn't think Obama had yet made the case that the Islamic State terrorist group "represents a direct, grave threat to the United States."
Meanwhile, Republicans criticized Obama's call to rule out "enduring offensive combat operations," while leaving the door open to a more limited role.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, expressed doubt it would "give our military commanders the flexibility and authorities they need to succeed and protect our people."
Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., had some harsh words for the president.
"The president is living in a fantasy world when it comes to the threat of radical Islamic terrorism," he told CBN News.
"Never in history has a president asked Congress to prevent him from taking action against the threat of the staggering nature that is radical Islamic terrorism. We don't know why the president has persisted in his naive view of this threat, but I do know that it's dangerous," Pompeo said.
Pompeo told CBN's Gary Lane that the president's bill won't pass.
But he said Congress is taking this proposal seriously because the president's air attacks have not slowed down the steady stream of jihadists joining ISIS.
And the Islamic State still holds large areas of northern Iraq and Syria, where it continues to commit brutal atrocities against civilians, as well as Syrian and Iraqi troops.
