GOP Senator: Time To Change Military Force Law

WASHINGTON (AP) - The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says it's time to overhaul the 2001 authorization for the use of military force that gave the president extensive powers in the terrorism fight.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee said Wednesday that the law, which gave President George W. Bush the authority to launch the invasion of Afghanistan and target al-Qaida, needs to be revised to address new, emerging threats. The law was passed three days after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Corker made the announcement at the start of a Senate hearing on counterterrorism.

President Barack Obama has used the law's authority to target terrorists with fatal drone strikes, including Americans overseas. The issue came to the forefront with Republican Sen. Rand Paul's complaints about drone use in the U.S.