Islamic State Brutality in Libya Underscores Congress’ Challenge in Authorizing Military Action

The stunning weekend news that Islamic State extremists had beheaded 21 Egyptian Christians in Libya–hundreds of miles to the West of the battleground in Syria and Iraq where the U.S. has been bombing Islamic State outposts–underscores how difficult it will be for Congress to draw up a resolution that simultaneously authorizes military action against Islamic State while trying to limit it.

Egypt followed the beheadings by launching warplanes to attack Islamic State outposts in Libya, a sprawling country just next door that has descended into a kind of chaos in which Islamic State has been able to set up shop. And the Egyptians promptly asked the U.S. and its allies to join in the fight to extinguish Islamic State radicals’ strongholds in Libya, a request likely to be repeated this week when Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry travels to Was