The White House said Monday that President Barack Obama is prepared to go it alone – 'regardless of borders' – if he decides to launch airstrikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) inside Syria. 'I'm not going to speculate about what sort of congressional approval would be requested or required' if the president decided to chase ISIS across the invisible border between Iraq and Syria, spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. He noted that Obama 'has not made a decision to order additional military action in Syria.' But 'the president has already demonstrated a willingness,' Earnest insisted, 'to use military force to protect the American people, regardless of borders.'
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Spokesman Josh Earnest compared the idea to killing Osama bin Laden in Pakistan without permission from that nation's government
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'I'm not going to speculate' about whether Obama would ask Congress before launching airstrikes in Syria, his press secretary said
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A House Armed Services Committee spokesman says Obama first needs to articulate a clear strategy to defeat ISIS – which he hasn't done
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A Senate aide told MailOnline that his boss, who sits on that body's Armed Services Committee, would be 'beyond upset' if Obama acts unilaterally
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Iraq's faltering government invited the US to take action against ISIS, but Bashar al-Assad hasn't rolled out Syria's welcome mat
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Earnest suggested Obama would follow the example of the Osama bin Laden kill raid – an operation he authorized without permission from Pakistan
'The United States was not invited in by the Pakistani government' to take out @placeholder, Earnest reminded reporters.