President Barack Obama needs to explain to Congress and the American people exactly what the U.S. military’s role is in West Africa, says Rep. Walter Jones, a North Carolina Republican who is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. Jones appeared Wednesday on
Newsmax TV's “America’s Forum.”
“I do not think that the president or military has adequately explained to we, the American people, exactly the role of these 4,000 servicemen and women going to Africa,” he told host J.D. Hayworth.
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“It needs to be fully explained. Their security and safety is at the utmost of what I believe we need to make sure that they are safe and I do not understand why so many of them are going over to Africa. I've
heard some explanation for it, building hospitals, building housing and this kind of thing but I'm still concerned that we don't fully know the details of what their responsibility is going to be.”
Jones is concerned that America, yet again, is leading the charge and risking American lives on something that is a world issue.
“I do not understand why the United Nations, or some of these other countries, aren't taking the lead,” he said. “Here we go again, America having to take the lead and it's our young men and women in uniform that are on the front line and I don't particularly like this.”
Obama continues to act as a lone wolf on foreign policy matters and with the lame-duck session of Congress scheduled to begin after the November midterms, Jones says (House Armed Services Committee Chairman) Buck McKeon has already scheduled hearings to get a full explanation of America’s role in West Africa and when the troops can expect to come home.
The Defense Department has indicated the military could be there for a year or more.
“I do not like the fact that the president continues to bypass Congress on international polices, whether it be Ebola or bombing in Syria,” he said. “This is something you and I talked about before and I'll say it again, this president does not communicate with Congress and either party the way that the Constitution requires him to do.”
Jones also wants answers about why the military, instead of public health officials, have been deployed,
an issue raised by some retired generals.
“That is where there's a lot of concern by both parties,” he said.
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