Kaine, Warner want terrorist strategy

Virginia's U.S. senators asked the Obama administration on Wednesday to come up with a clear strategy on the ISIL terrorist group in light of two recent executions of U.S. journalists.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Near Eastern, South and Central Asian Affairs, issued his remarks from a mission in Morroco.

"My prayers go out to the family and friends of Steven Sotloff. His murder was a barbaric act by members of ISIL who yet again proved that what the terrorist group represents has no place in humanity. This tragedy reinforces what I have long said -- that this administration should come to Congress with clear objectives and scope of mission to combat the ISIL threat, and Congress should immediately debate an authorization to use military force."

Kaine further said that "now is the time for Congress to hear the administration's rationable for military action against ISIL, and vote up or down on authorization."

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said "we are repulsed again by the barbaric tactics of the terrorist group ISIL, and our thoughts today are with the families of American journalists Steven Sotloff and James Foley.''

Warner said he urges "the administration to come to Congress with a clear strategy and political and military options for eliminating the ISIL threat. The United States should not take any military options off the table, because stopping ISIL is in the national security and foreign policy interests of the U.S. and our European allies. We need to see the Iraqis, other partners across the region, and our European allies in NATO stand up and stand together against the ISIL threat."

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