War on terror

A puzzling aspect of President Obama's war against Islamic State, a military campaign that is now almost six months old, is his attitude toward congressional approval for the mission.

In a speech in September, Obama insisted that he already possessed all the legal authority he needed to launch airstrikes against the group in Iraq and Syria, though he added vaguely: "I welcome congressional support for this effort." But in his State of the Union address, he shifted gears and called on Congress "to show the world that we are united in this mission" by passing a resolution to authorize the use of force against Islamic State.

Six months later, Congress needs to vote on Obama's war against Islamic State