Members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation Friday sharply criticized President Barack Obama’s decision to send U.S. special operations troops into Syria to battle the Islamic State, joining a chorus of other Democrats who disapprove of the reversal in policy against ground troops and escalation of military intervention in an increasingly complex and multisided civil war.

Sen. Brian Schatz called the authorization a "strategic mistake" that threatens to embroil the U.S. in Syria’s civil war while doing little if anything to help the U.S. in its goal of defeating the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

"In the 16 months since the United States began its participation in the regional fight against ISIL, our military involvement has escalated without a clear sense of how our escalating involvement will achieve our strategic objectives," Schatz said in a statement released to the media. "With ISIL’s control of northern Syria, we cannot reasonably expect that the deployment of special operations forces would be limited in scope or duration."

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who has been a vocal critic of the president’s Middle East policy, took to the news shows to voice her opposition to the boots-on-the-ground strategy in Syria, arguing in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that it would only end up "strengthening our enemy."

"The U.S. and the CIA should stop this illegal and counterproductive war to overthrow the Syrian government of (President Bashar) Assad and should stay focused on fighting against who the enemy really is, the Islamic extremist groups," Gabbard told Blitzer.

The U.S. has provided support to Syrian rebels seeking to oust Assad, and critics say this most recent military escalation could increase the risk of direct military confrontation with Russia, which supports the Syrian government.

Gabbard said that Obama’s policy places the U.S. in "a potential head-to-head conflict with Russia, which brings us to the brink of a larger conflict, a World War III type of situation."

Rep. Mark Takai joined other Democratic critics in questioning the president’s power to authorize such military action. The White House has maintained that the president’s actions are supported by 2001 legislation passed by Congress that authorizes war against al-Qaida and its allies.

"We cannot let ourselves engage in another Middle East conflict with no clear end, under a law that was enacted 14 years ago," Takai said in a statement. "Before we commit any additional resources to the Middle East, there needs to be clarity as to the role the United States will be playing."

Sen. Mazie Hirono said that the American people need to hear more from the Obama administration about how deploying a team of up to 50 special operations forces in Syria helps advance the mission of defeating the Islamic State. She stressed her support for a diplomatic solution.

"In our effort to degrade and destroy ISIL, the president has reiterated that it is not in our national interest to send U.S. combat troops into yet another ground war in the Middle East," Hirono said in a statement. "I agree, and as a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, I will hold the administration to that commitment."