In response to Senator Corker’s proposed authorisation for use of military force (AUMF) intended to replace the 2001 and 2002 authorisations, Daphne Eviatar, director of Security with Human Rights for Amnesty International USA, made the following statement:
“Since 2001, the U.S. has been operating as if the world is a permanent battlefield, at the costs of thousands of lives, including large numbers of civilians. Despite this, President Trump has reportedly expanded authority for air strikes outside of war zones, and expressed shockingly callous disregard for civilian casualties. The last thing President Trump needs is a renewed open-ended authorisation that gives him a blank check to perpetuate endless war, which is exactly what this proposed bill represents.
“Not only should this bill move no farther, the original AUMFs must also be repealed. Their seemingly limitless interpretation has led to a widespread violation of human rights, from indefinite detention and torture to unlawful drone strikes. If Congress does not get this right, it will repeat the mistakes of the original authorization and bear responsibility for further abuses.”
Background: ‘Corker’s Proposal Hands Trump A Dangerous, Open-Ended War Authorization’ by Daphne Eviatar, Director, Security with Human Rights