Army officer sues Obama over war on ISIL
A US Army officer has taken court action against President Barack Obama over America’s military campaign against Daesh (ISIL) overseas.
Captain Nathan Michael Smith, who is on active duty in Kuwait, filed the lawsuit Wednesday in the District of Columbia.
The 28-year-old officer says the US war against Daesh in Iraq and Syria is illegal since it lacks congressional approval.
The young captain argues that the US combat role violates the 1973 War Powers Act.
"Under the War Powers Act, every time [a president] notifies leaders of military strikes, his power to carry them out without congressional approval extends another 60 days," NPR quoted part of the suit as saying.
"The president did not get Congress's approval for his war against ISIS (Daesh) in Iraq or Syria within the sixty days, but he also did not terminate the war. The war is therefore illegal. The court should issue a declaration that the War Powers Resolution requires the president to obtain a declaration or war or specific authorization from Congress within sixty days of the judgment, and that his failure to do so will require disengagement, within thirty days, of all United States armed forces from the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria," it added.
This is while the US is expanding its military presence in Syria.
Obama recently announced the deployment of an additional 250 military personnel to Syria, to join the dozens already on the ground there.
Reports indicate the US military also has over 3,500 forces on the ground in Iraq to help with the battle against Daesh.
Daesh overran parts of Iraq in June 2014 after wreaking havoc on Syria.
The US launched its strikes against purported Daesh positions inside Syria in September 2014, without any authorization from Damascus or the United Nations. It has also been carrying out airstrikes in Iraq since June 2014 allegedly targeting Daesh terrorists in the north and west of the country.
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