[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 10, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H7394-H7395]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       THE WISDOM OF PRESIDENT OBAMA'S NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Sherman) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the effective action 
and wise caution shown by the President of the United States with 
regard to ISIS. We were all disgusted by the beheading of American 
journalists and alarmed by ISIS' early military successes.
  Those who oversimplify the Middle East focus exclusively on the evils 
of ISIS and demand its immediate destruction without sufficient 
examination of the costs and the effects. The President recognizes that 
the situation calls for action but that its complexity also calls for 
caution. He has ordered over 150 airstrikes, which have punished ISIS, 
killing hundreds of its fighters and securing military victories at 
Mosul Dam, protecting the Yazidi minority, protecting our Kurdish 
allies, and protecting the Shiite Turkmen, four important military 
victories. And, just as importantly, we have pushed back ISIS and 
prevented its further expansion in Iraq.
  Yet, the simpleminded argue that all of our problems in the Middle 
East would disappear if only we had a President with a different 
personality. Or

[[Page H7395]]

they assume that ISIS can be destroyed immediately without any American 
boots on the ground. The ground forces necessary to destroy ISIS 
immediately, that deployment would involve hundreds, if not thousands, 
of American casualties. Even if we had a victory over ISIS that was 
swift, our forces would be the ones on the ground. We would then be 
viewed as responsible for providing security, which would require a 
prolonged presence.
  Now, some fantasize that Turkey or Saudi Arabia or somebody else--
just not us--will be willing to deploy ground forces and suffer major 
casualties. Well, keep in mind that Turkey and Saudi Arabia weren't 
willing to suffer any casualties to destroy Saddam Hussein in our final 
war against him, and that these two Sunni nations hate some of the 
enemies of ISIS as much they hate ISIS. If there are going to be troops 
on the ground, they will not just magically appear from others in the 
region.
  The greatest flaw in the simple thinking is to focus exclusively on 
whom we want to destroy without asking who will be empowered by such 
destruction. Who are the enemies of ISIS that ISIS is fighting today? 
Who would step into the vacuum if ISIS were rapidly destroyed? Four 
entities: the al-Nusra front, ISIS' chief rival in Syria. The al-Nusra 
front, of course, is part of al Qaeda. Second, Assad, who has killed 
over 191,000 of his own people. Third, the extremist Shiite militias 
and perhaps former Prime Minister Maliki. These are forces that killed 
hundreds of Americans last decade. And fourth, Hezbollah and its patron 
Iran, who killed hundreds of Americans in Lebanon in 1983 and also 
killed hundreds of Americans in Iraq last decade.
  Now, there is constant discussion that ISIS might have the ability to 
conduct operations outside the Middle East, perhaps against us. 
Hezbollah and Iran have killed hundreds of people in actions in Asia, 
South America, Africa, and Europe. So let us be clear: those who will 
take power if ISIS is swept aside are nearly as evil as ISIS. Let us 
applaud a President who has taken decisive action, acted with caution, 
achieved significant military victories, and done it all without a 
single American casualty.
  Finally, there is the issue of Congress. What is our role? Some think 
that our role is to dodge tough votes, leave town next week, and stay 
away until Veterans Day, all without voting on what America is doing in 
the Middle East. Unfortunately, we ought to do our job. The War Powers 
Act allows the President to act for 60 or 90 days. After that, if 
Congress refuses to act, the President either has to violate the 
Constitution or summon Congress back and hope that we do our job. We 
ought to pass a resolution authorizing air operations for a significant 
period of time while not expanding the President's limited rights to 
deploy ground forces.
  We ask our pilots to do their job. We in Congress should do ours. 
Let's consider a War Powers Act resolution. Let's take the tough vote.

                          ____________________