A measure recently introduced by U.S. Reps. Todd Young (R-IN) and Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) – H. Res. 814 – calls for the triggering of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty to help fight ISIS.
The move would put into motion a coordinated, coalition-based military campaign targeting ISIS in light of the ongoing refugee crisis and the terror group’s ability to co-opt attacks that target westerners.
“ISIS has co-opted and inspired mass casualty attacks against the United States and our allies, and rabidly seeks to incite more bloodshed,” Young said. “Were it your son in Orlando, your spouse in San Bernardino, or your family member murdered at the airports in Brussels or Istanbul, you too would demand more from your government. The time has come to strategically deploy all instruments of national power to protect our citizens from human suffering and depravity.”
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty must be invoked immediately, Young added, to harness the military and diplomatic power of NATO to destroy ISIS.
“It is one of only a few viable options that can provide President Obama the sufficient political cover one senses he needs to let American military leaders take over and reformulate our weak defensive posture into a winning strategy,” Young said.
Kinzinger, an Air Force veteran who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, said that the barbarism of ISIS taking innocent lives has been seen time and again.
“As allies, we must stand together to defeat this horrific cancer that continues to strike and plague our country and our people,” Kinzinger said. “We cannot let this barbarism overtake our humanity, our way of life, our core principles. I’m proud to be an original cosponsor to Rep. Todd Young’s resolution and I look forward to garnering even more support from our colleagues.”
U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN) also cosponsored the resolution.