The POTUS has asked for authorization to use force in fighting ISIS/ISIL aka "The Caliphate". I've heard that it is pretty confusing. Assuming that this group is our enemy and we will indeed fight it I propose this as the authorizing resolution:

"The United States of America hereby declares war on the entity today known as ISIS or ISIL. The Congress of the United States authorizes the President to use whatever means necessary to attack this entity, wherever and whenever it may be located by whatever means are available until such time as it is destroyed and resistance ends. Captured members, associates, supporters, and auxiliaries of this entity will be treated in accordance with the laws of war which will not be interpreted to mean that they are in any way subject to the civil laws of the United States nor will they be accorded the rights of citizens of the United States. "

No doubt the legalese needs to be cleaned up a bit but the fact is that if we intend to war on these people we need to war on them. It is a fact that their stated intent is our absolute destruction and subjugation without regard to status, age, gender, or religion. They do not care how they do it even if it results in their mutual destruction. Even the Nazis would have preferred to survive these people care nothing for that.

If, on the other hand, we do nothing then we will change nothing as we have already, in the minds of these people, acquiesced to our destruction.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

If a declared war, Geneva and Hague Conventions become applicable. To my admittedly unsound mind, he'd be helping the ragheads with this declaration, not putting the hurt on them.

and combatants would have all the protections offered by those conventions and accords.

guarantees, execute spies and traitors, find and kill them in supposedly "safe" areas/countries they are in now.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

Oh, any .gov in the world is advised that Geneva is a minimum standard and better conditions are advised and preferred.

However

You might be surprised at what's been going on for the past few years that wouldn't pass muster for forces constrained by either Hague or Geneva. And is even currently disallowed for 'conventional forces'.

JAG has signed off on quite a lot of activity and materiel for 'unlawful combatants' and counter-terrorist use, but all would be excluded if actual war got declared.

Me? I just figure that Islamers need the 2X4 treatment from time to time to concentrate their minds until they understand to calm the eff down.

Or, we go full medieval.

Nah.

I think we ought to give them what they say they want: an Islamic caliphate all their own, encompassing Syria, Iraq, and whatever part of Afghanistan they'd like. Invite all their supporters, sympathizers, adherents or whatever to move in and set up shop with our blessings.

Then, while they are celebrating and praising Allah, we turn the whole place into a big chunk of vitrified glass.....

that the caliphate must encompass the whole world. Anything less than that is not a fulfillment of God's will. That is what they believe and that is what they are acting on even if the leaders are actually just using the believers as their agents so that they have power, etc. just like "the prophet" did in creating the "religion".

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Sincerely,

Hobie

Only slightly, Hobie, unfortunately. The sad truth is, ultimately either we kill them or they will kill us. The committed Islamic extremists will have it no other way. They may be a minority of the Islamic believers, but they have shown themselves to accept no other course than total domination or elimination of those whom they consider "unbelievers".

Horrible prospect, but I see no way it will work out otherwise.

is a fact and proven by any record of their activities in Syria, Iraq, etc...

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Sincerely,

Hobie