WASHINGTON: Two US lawmakers — a Democrat and a Republican — said on Thursday that they would introduce bills to authorise air strikes in Syria against the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Al Sham (ISIS).

In London, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Britain could soon launch air strikes at IS positions both in Syria and Iraq and that he would not coordinate those attacks with the Syrian military.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad is “part of the problem”, said Mr Cameron while commenting on the Syrian position that it would allow those attacks only if they were coordinated with its military.

In Washington, Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat, said he would introduce a bill in a few days to “ensure there’s no question that the president has the legal authority he needs to use air strikes in Syria”.

Republican Congressman Frank Wolf said he would move a similar bill in the House when Congress reopens on Monday.

“Let there be no doubt, we must go after IS right away because the US is the only one that can put together a coalition to stop this group that’s intent on barbaric cruelty,” said Senator Nelson.

Some lawmakers, however, argued that the president did not need congressional approval for launching punitive strikes on a non-governmental entity, particularly after it killed two US citizens. The militants have killed two American journalists this month, after holding them in custody for years.

President Obama is facing intense criticism at home for not retaliating to the two beheadings.

Last week, President Obama admitted that his team did not have a strategy yet for tackling the group in Syria. But later he said he was only referring to a full military response “inside of Syria that might require congressional approval”.

Two days after the militants beheaded the second journalist; US Vice President Joe Biden warned them that America would follow ISIS ‘to the gates of hell.’

“When people harm Americans, we don’t retreat,” he said as he remembered beheaded journalist Steven Sotloff.

‘We don’t forget.’

‘We take care of those who are grieving, and when that’s finished, they should know, we will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice. Because hell is where they will reside!’

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2014