(11 Feb 2015) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus025861
President Barack Obama asked Congress on Wednesday to formally authorize military force against Islamic State militants, declaring they are on the defensive and "going to lose." But he vowed not to repeat the large and costly ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama said a large deployment of U.S. troops won't be necessary to fight the Islamic State, and he argued that the three-page proposal he sent to lawmakers would give him and his successor the needed flexibility to wage a battle likely to take "some time."
Under Obama's proposal, the use of military force would be authorized for three years, unbounded by national borders.
The fight could be extended to any "closely related successor entity" to the Islamic State organization that has overrun parts of Iraq and Syria, imposed a stern form of Sharia law and killed several hostages it has taken, Americans among them.
"Make no mistake. This is a difficult mission," Obama said, adding it will take time to dislodge the terrorists, especially from urban areas. "But our coalition is on the offensive. ISIL is on the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose."
The initial reaction to his congressional request was bipartisan skepticism. Republicans expressed unhappiness that Obama chose to exclude any long-term commitment of ground forces, while some Democrats voiced dismay that he had opened the door to deployment at all.
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