It’s no real surprise that American special operations forces have gone to Syria to “assist” rebels fighting ISIS. The civilized world is aghast at the extremist group’s barbarity and spread.

It’s no real surprise that defense hawks say 50 or 100 or 1,000 special ops personnel are not enough. They want thousands of boots on the ground, everywhere.

But the deepest thinkers on this issue, and on continuing difficulties in the Mideast, look at the deployment from another point of view. It is unauthorized.

For more than a year, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, has called on Congress to debate and vote on a bipartisan “Authorization for Use of Military Force.” Joining Kaine in pushing for this measure is Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona. President Obama has asked for it too, but Congress will not move on the question.

The senators are uneasy that the nation continues to increase its position in the Middle East … we are back in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now in Syria too … based on the Iraq War authorization of more than a decade ago. We agree. 

If Congress refuses to act, it makes the President a scapegoat for anything that goes wrong and washes its hands, at the same time, of the problem. But the Congress has the power to declare war.

Sen. Kaine is correct. But in the meantime, we get deeper and deeper into a shifting quicksand of unclear alliances and enemies, and American lives are back on the line. In a new country.

Congress, do your job.