Kaine Statement on 19th Anniversary of 2001 AUMF, Drone Strike Authorities in Kenya
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement today on the 19th anniversary of the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) and reports that U.S. Africa Command is requesting new authorities to carry out armed drone strikes in Kenya:
“On the 19th anniversary of a war authorization that multiple presidents have used to justify military action all over the globe, the current administration is considering stretching it even further to carry out drone strikes in yet another country that had nothing to do with 9/11. Three-quarters of the current members of Congress weren’t even serving when this original authorization passed, and no one who voted to go after Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan could have conceived they were ok’ing action against a whole host of groups in places like the Philippines, Niger, and now Kenya. If our servicemembers are willing to risk their lives, we owe it to them to have a serious debate about where they can be sent and the scope of their mission. It’s time to repeal the 2001 authorization for the use of military force and replace it with something narrower.”
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