Should the United States Declare War on the Islamic State?

isis

Rand Paul is pushing for a resolution declaring war on the Islamic State.

Most of the criticisms of it involve its implicit recognition of the Islamic State as a country. Even after September 11, the United States did not declare war on Al Qaeda. Paul’s resolution declares a “state of war between the United States and the organization referring to itself as the Islamic State”.

I’m less concerned with inflating ISIS by declaring a war against it, though it would have that effect. In a more practical sense, the resolution is pointless.

ISIS used to be Al Qaeda in Iraq. There were authorizations to use force against Al Qaeda and against Iraq.

Paul’s resolution specifies that,

Nothing in this section shall be construed as declaring war or authorizing force against any organization-
(A) other than the organization referring to itself as the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS); or
(B) based on affiliation with the organization referring to itself as the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

You can see the problem with that already.

Paul has to list two names for ISIS and include affiliates, which is a grey area that could concievably cover half the world considering some of the international pledges of loyalty coming in.

It’s likely that Rand Paul didn’t realize that, he did after all run a filibuster which also suggested that Al Qaeda affiliates weren’t our problem, which raises other questions about his basic understanding of the War on Terror.

ISIS has gone through multiple transformations. Its affiliates consist of umbrella groups which call on the loyalty of militias whose names shift and whose people blend together. This is one reason why the CIA tried to put the brakes on arming any rebels.

A terrorist group is not a country. It’s one thing to declare war on a country. It’s another to declare war on a terrorist group which keeps morphing and transforming and which relies on extended international networks.

It doesn’t make sense to declare war on a terrorist group which is not bound by any treaties or international laws and which doesn’t even have a conventional shape or clearly defined territory.

What happened if ISIS renames itself? Do we need a new declaration of war? It’s an absurd but serious question considering that his resolution also attempts to repeal the Iraq AUMF by arguing that “The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (Public Law 107-40; 50 U.S.C. 1541 note) does not provide any authority for the use of military force against the organization referring to itself as the Islamic State, and shall not be construed as providing such authority.”

Not only did the 9/11 AUMF cover that, but the Iraq AUMF explicitly mentioned the presence of Al Qaeda in Iraq as one of the reasons for military action. It states that,

acting pursuant to this joint resolution is consistent with the United States and other countries continuing to take  the necessary actions against international terrorist and terrorist organizations, including those nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001.

That clearly covers conflicts with Al Qaeda in Iraq. So Rand Paul is wrong unless his entire argument is that a terrorist organization that changes its name requires a new resolution.

Rand Paul isn’t really doing this to declare war, but to roll back assorted warmaking powers. But he isn’t very good at that either.

After declaring war, he tries to bar the use of ground troops, but leaves open use of “advisory” ground troops. He doesn’t seem to be aware that Obama designated the remaining US troops as advisory. US forces in Afghanistan will soon be advisory too.

It’s a hole the size of a barn door which again shows that Rand Paul is inexperienced when it comes to the practical issues.

This resolution is pointless. Congress authorized military force against Al Qaeda and its various affiliates on September 11. It authorized military action against terrorists to prevent future attacks on America.

Considering the threats ISIS has made and its growing collection of weapons and fighters, it’s clearly covered by the 9/11 AUMF.

There’s no reason to puff up ISIS by treating it like a country. We have enough restraints on fighting Muslim terrorists that we don’t need to pile on more.

Until not that long ago, it was understood that fighters who did not wear uniforms or follow any laws of war had no rights or protections of any kind. They were pirates. Since 9/11, the rights and protections accorded to terrorists have increased significantly. The last thing we want is to start treating them as prisoners of war.

  • dhwilson58

    Yes ! Right after we clean up the riots and close our borders. ISIS is using the border to slip into our country so yea, trapping ISIS inside our country by closing our border will make it a lot easier to hunt them down and kill them like the maggots and cockroaches that they are !!!

    • DesertSun59

      Very amusing. I highly recommend that you volunteer to become a border patrol agent. After all, it will give you a chance to route out those Muslims who are ‘slipping into our country’ and will give you the peace of mind you desperately need.

  • Texas Patriot

    Yes.

    • DesertSun59

      Except YOU and not one person in your family will volunteer to join the military and fight them. Big words from a loser like yourself.

  • camp7

    “Should the United States Declare War?”

    The United States should declare peace. We should declare civilization. We should declare an assurance of rights. Peace is the prevention of personal violence and social disorder. To declare peace is to declare the survival of civilized humans.

    It’s not free. In a savage world that threatens the existence of peace, it can only be achieved by fighting the forces against it. The most peaceful nation requires the strongest defense and resolve. A nation that develops and utilizes advanced technology, military and strategies to destroy it’s enemies without compromise to achieve peace. One that practices very deliberate, efficient and effective policies to expedite the goal of peace, despite the consequential violence and conditional pain of peace.

    War is our heritage. Peace is the struggle for our existence. The highest concepts of science, religion and philosophy can only be gained through peace, a common goal, and leadership. We have some work ahead of us.

  • Xynnek

    This is a fight against Jihad, wherever it may be … like fighting crime, it will never end.

    • susanjmaki

      Not in this life. But that’s what we are here for, isn’t it? To fight the good fight. These are truly evil people. I’ve been learning about taquiyya. That a provision in Islam which says it’s okay to lie to us infidels because we don’t really matter.

  • FedUpWithWelfareStates

    “Should the United States Declare War on the Islamic State?” No…we should declare war on Islam, because they have definitely declared war on us…

  • Hard Little Machine

    I’d be happy if thought Obama wouldn’t welcome them to an official State Dinner.

  • Jack Diamond

    More cognitive dissonance this time courtesy of Rand Paul. As Daniel points out, military authorization against al Qaeda and its affiliates already exists, only Rand Paul is apparently unaware of the lineage of ISIS and is one of those who thinks al Qaeda is “opposed” to ISIS and the “even al Qaeda is shocked and appalled by the brutality of ISIS” nonsense. ISIS is “al Qaeda in Iraq” among other sequence of titles. America is to declare war against titles of jihadi groups (while declaring that they are not properly Islamic at all), some not others, as if they are mutually exclusive. And then what to do with erstwhile allies like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey who fund, aid & benefit from the state we declare war upon? This is more of the fantasy world where jihad groups are isolated actors and not proxies for rich Islamic states. Then, the ultimate fiction, that we can chase shape-shifting jihad groups, fixated upon them, declaring this one good (Muslim Brotherhood) this one bad (ISIS) without seeing the source of the problem, Islam itself and those pious Muslims who will and always will take the Qur’an and Sunnah seriously.

    What is ISIS? The implementing of an idea–the idea of the Caliphate and the idea of Sharia Law and a Sharia State, both Islamic to the core and which most definitely call for subjugation of non-Muslims as well as making sacred religious warfare against non-Muslims (jihad). As Hugh Fitzgerald has said “the governments of the Western world, beginning with the American
    government, ought to declare War, not against the Islamic State alone,
    but against all those who give aid or comfort in any way to those who
    wish to bring about that Caliphate, or wish to create the conditions
    which will enable the spread of the imposition of the Sharia.” Whether America should be destroying the Islamic State just now–assuming it would take on that burden–when it is spreading the shi’a sunni conflict (not terrible for Infidels) and negatively impacting Iran, is the bigger strategic question but thinking it will solve the problem Rand Paul sees in the Islamic State, is whistling past the graveyard.

  • knowshistory

    declare war on isis? only if we want to lose another war. isis is not our problem. islam is our problem, and traitors are inviting muslims to come to our country, parasitize our welfare system, enjoy our protection, as well as the fawning admiration of our government, elites, media, and Hollywood, while they breed themselves into a majority that will use our own government to genocide us. what we need is a major victory over our deadly enemy, islam. that victory is there for the taking, and can be had for the price of ridding our country of our own traitors who invite our Islamic enemy to kill us. after ridding ourselves of traitors, all we have to do is expel islam from our land. any self respecting people would do so.

    • DesertSun59

      While it is a fact that Islam is a serious worldwide country, you made this assertion ‘traitors are inviting muslims to come to our country’ that is a 100% lie.

      • knowshistory

        Somalian enemies of our population murdered our “peacekeepers” in Mogadishu, and within a decade our country is inundated with “refugees” from Somalia. these refugee are uniformly of the muslim persuasion, and, whether they admit it or not, are scripturally obligated to destroy the infidel (that includes me, but I am not so sure about you). these Islamic monsters were invited by people in our government who would never admit their malice towards our population, but what they do is obvious–they are aiding and abetting the enemies of our nation, and our population. I call them traitors. you, apparently, call them heroes. it just depends on which side of the “war on terror” you find yourself. desert sun? nah. desert plague would be more fitting.

      • susanjmaki

        What you are overlooking is the fact that many people pretend to be Muslim to avoid death. And many more have never been given a choice. I have a friend who converted to Christianity and was beat up three times, and shot at. He decided to move to another city where no one knew his history. I don’t think you fully appreciate the situation these people live in. They live in a very corrupt country where the poor in countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan sell their own children. Even giving them to complete strangers to become “apprentices”. They end up as dancing boys/sex slaves for men with money but no conscience. Boys even young as 7 or 8. There is a chance they will be murdered or abandoned when they are no longer interesting to their owners. Look, up ‘bacha bazi” if you want to check my facts. It’s a very evil, corrupt place. The best thing we could do would be to kill every adult male in the country and make the whole country a re-education camp. How to become a human being.

  • USARetired

    Evil is Evil, where ever it’s ugly head rises! Only gays, queers, wimps, and the ugly would refuse to combat Islam, Al Qaeda or ISIS !

    • DesertSun59

      Bravo. You’re retired but you want others to fight your imaginary battles.

      • susanjmaki

        They’re not imaginary dear. Research a little bit. Do you know what Taquiya is? I’m not sure of the spelling, but it’s the tenet of Islam that makes it okay to lie to infidels all day long. These people (and I lose the term very loosely) have no qualms about raping women or children, there is institutionalized abuse of the weak by the strong. Their culture is institutionalized torture and abuse. No country should readmit anyone who has been fighting with ISIS! The gentleman you responded to is not fighting ‘imaginary’ battles. Didn’t you get the word, ‘all that is needed for evil to succeed, is for good men to do nothing’. If Islamists get a foothold in the USA, they will not stop until they make us all answer to Allah. This is not the first time Islam has tried this. Read your history.

  • Luke101

    The “World” Court just bestowed ‘international human rights” upon the Somali Pirates , and told France they owe them money for detaining them. Has all cognitive reasoning fled the West? I wonder……

  • knowshistory

    you forget the war on drugs, the war on poverty, and the war on terror. drugs and poverty won easily, and while hapless infidels were flailing away at “terrorism”, islam subjugated the west.

    • moneekwa

      the way the wars on drugs, poverty, crime, and terror have been going, they are all at record high levels.

      maybe we should have declared war on money and jobs instead….

  • DesertSun59

    I highly recommend that every single member of the Rand family volunteer to fight Muslims in the Middle East. Or else, he can shut up.

    • susanjmaki

      Rand Paul is a doctor and volunteers on medical missions. He does what he can. Their are enough people to fight, and you need to educate yourself before you shoot off your mouth. For today’s lesson, try looking up taqiyya. I’m not sure of the spelling, but it is basically the rule in Islam that allows Muslims to lie to advance their cause. It’s a good thing in their faith. I do not hate Muslims. I have some friends I love very much, who are very important to me who are Muslims. They hate their lives, but have no choice. They will be killed if they change their faith. Our country needs to stop being so politically correct and learn the truth. ISIS is killing babies, children, whole families, wiping out anyone who won’t convert, and making slaves of the ones who are useful to them. America, perhaps after we get rid of our Muslim president, needs to do everything it can to stop these animals. Besides the beheadings, they are crucifying Christians, burying them alive. We shouldn’t be fighting amongst ourselves!

  • Jack Diamond

    It’s important to understand that what they do is in imitation of their model of conduct Muhammad and his immediate successors, the “best of Muslims.” This Abu Bakr is replicating the first one. Claiming there is nothing Islamic about a self proclaimed Shari’a state waging classical Jihad headed by a PhD in Islamic Studies, is absurd. It is, as has been said, pure naked Islam. The names of the groups change, the Qur’an and Sunnah do not. Rescuing Christians and others is the least we can do considering all the years we did nothing while they were in the bulls eye. Letting shi’a and sunni kill and weaken each other, or even hastening it, is never a bad strategy either considering the alternative.