The US Senate today considered repealing the war authorization passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks for the first time since its passage 16 years ago.
Despite a growing chorus of voices who worry that the original mandate against al-Qaeda has been twisted to justify US interventions across the Middle East and beyond, rescinding it proved too controversial in the middle of a global war against the Islamic State (IS). In the end, the amendment to the annual defense authorization bill from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., failed 61-36.