The Congress has received a draft authorization to formally use military force against the Islamic State group (ISIS) from President Barack Obama.

The resolution would not restrict where US forces could pursue ISIS but bans “enduring offensive combat operations”.

The US has already pursued air strikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria since 2014.

Congress has not formally voted for military force since 2002, for the Iraq war.

Barack Obama has called for ending that resolution, about the Iraq war, but the new draft does not make any changes to the Afghanistan war resolution in 2001.

Photo Reuters

The draft the president has sent Congress in regards to ISIS is limited to three years.

It will force Congress to vote on war for the first time in 13 years and it’s expected to set up a debate about America’s role in the Middle East and how to best counter the militant group.

In a letter sent to Congress along with his draft, President Barack Obama said while “existing statutes” allow the air strikes, he has “repeatedly expressed my commitment to working with the Congress to pass a bipartisan authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) against ISIL”.

Barack Obama said it “would not authorize long-term, large-scale ground combat operations like those our nation conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan” but would provide flexibility to pursue rescue operations and special operations attacks.

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