Recent US military losses in Niger prompted some in Congress to ask themselves “When did we authorize fighting in Niger?” writes Thomas Brackett Reed Professor of Government Andrew Rudalevige in The Washington Post political science blog, the Monkey Cage.

The Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) was passed almost unanimously in 2001, following the Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks in the US. The measure gives the president broad powers to wage war in defending the nation against further terror attacks. However, said Rudalevige, with US troops now “active in at least nineteen countries,” there are increasing calls for the AUMF to be revisited.

The problem, he continued, is figuring out exactly what a new AUMF would look like. “Some in Congress want to simply empower the president. Others want to limit his autonomy.” Read more.