US President Barack Obama has asked the Republican-led Congress for formal authorization for use of military force against jihadist group Islamic State and associated forces in order to "show the world we are united in our resolve to counter the threat."
Obama’s proposal calls for a three-year authorization to combat militants, with no specific geographic limitations applied to US forces and “flexibility” regarding the number of ground troops involved.
The authorization targets Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL) and "associated persons or forces," or those who fight on behalf or with the group, as well as "any closely-related successor entity in hostilities against the United States or its coalition partners."