Murphy pushes amendment to bar combat troops from Iraq

Sen. Chris Murphy on Monday pushed an amendment that would bar the use of American combat troops to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria, with several exceptions.

Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said at a news conference with reporters that although the American troop surge of 2007 “quelled the level of violence” in Iraq in the short-term, deploying ground troops in the region provides no long-term benefit.

Sen. Chris Murphy

Sen. Chris Murphy

“ I don’t think there’s any doubt that 100,000 ground troops would be able to provide a settling force for the region, so long as they stayed,” he said. “But unless you are supporting a 20- or 30-year commitment of U.S. ground forces, we have to find another way.”

The senator’s amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would include a number of exceptions that mirror those included in the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). But exclusive to the amendment are an allowance for special operations in pursuit of high-value targets and “spotters” to guide missile or bomb strikes.

Murphy conceded that he doesn’t wish to tie the hands of the Pentagon, admitting that the amendment is “open to pretty broad interpretation.” He said his focus is intent.

“Understandably, when you have trainers and advisers in Iraq, they may come in contact with the enemy, but so long as their primary role is to train and advise rather than be the infantry facing down ISIS on a daily basis, you’d be in adherence with this amendment,” he said.

The news conference comes just days after President Obama authorized hundreds of extra troops to be deployed to the eastern Anbar province of Iraq, bringing the number of troops in the state to 3,550.

Co-sponsoring the amendment is Sen. Rand Paul, a conservative libertarian and contender for the Republican 2016 nomination who, like Murphy, opposes further deployment of U.S. troops in the Middle East.

 

Tatiana Cirisano