Obama authorizes targeted airstrikes in Iraq
Boston Globe - 15 hours ago
By Julie Pace and Robert Burns ... military to launch targeted airstrikes if Islamic militants advance toward American personnel in northern Iraq.
Except the searched for link goes here:
"Obama authorizes Iraq airstrikes; US drops food, water to imperiled religious minorities" by Helene Cooper, Mark Landler and Alissa J. Rubin | New York Times August 08, 2014
WASHINGTON — President Obama announced Thursday that he had authorized targeted US airstrikes against Islamic militants in Iraq, scrambling to avert the fall of the Kurdish capital of Irbil and returning the United States to a significant role in Iraq for the first time since the last US soldier left the country at the end of 2011.
He announces this after Congress leaves?
Speaking at the White House on Thursday night, Obama also said that US military aircraft had dropped food and water to tens of thousands of Iraqis trapped on a barren mountain range in northwestern Iraq, having fled the militants from the Islamic State who threaten them with what Obama called genocide.
“Earlier this week, one Iraqi cried that there is no one coming to help,” Obama said in a televised statement delivered from the State Dining Room. “Well, today, America is coming to help.”
Not when it comes to Palestinians, though. What a self-serving sphincter is this guy.
The president insisted the twin military operations did not amount to a full-scale re-engagement in Iraq. But the relentless advance of the militants, whom he described as barbaric, has put them within a 30-minute drive of Irbil, raising an immediate danger for the US diplomats, military advisers, and other citizens based there.
Related: ISIS Expanding
Only when Obama needs them to, notice that?
“As commander in chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into another war in Iraq,” said Obama, who defined himself during his run for the presidency in large part around his opposition to the war in Iraq.
As he allows us to be dragged back in.
While Obama has authorized airstrikes, there had not yet been any as of late Thursday. But a senior administration official said after the speech that as conditions in Iraq deteriorated in recent days, the United States had worked with Iraqi security forces and Kurdish fighters to coordinate the response to the Islamists’ advances. The official said the cooperation had included airstrikes by Iraqi forces against Islamic State targets in the north.
Kurdish and Iraqi officials said that airstrikes were carried out Thursday night on two towns in northern Iraq seized by the Islamic State — Gwer and Mahmour, near Irbil. The New York Times on its website Thursday quoted Kurdish and Iraqi officials as saying that the strikes were carried out by US planes.
The cargo planes assigned to drop food and water over the mountainside were one C-17 and two C-130 aircraft. They were escorted by a pair of F-18 jet-fighters, the official said. The cargo aircraft were over the drop zone for about 15 minutes and flew at a relatively low altitude, the official said.
For Obama, who has steadfastly avoided being drawn into the sectarian furies of the Middle East, the decision raises a host of thorny questions, injecting the US military into Iraq’s broader political struggle — something Obama said he would not agree to unless Iraq’s three main ethnic groups agreed on a national unity government.
The decision could also open Obama to charges that he is willing to use US military might to protect Iraqi Christians and other religious minorities but not to prevent the slaughter of Muslims by other Muslims, either in Iraq or neighboring Syria.
Related: Why Aren't ISIS and Al-Qaeda Attacking Israel?
Because it is USrael that created, funds, and directs them.
But the president said the imminent threat to Irbil and the dire situation unfolding on Mount Sinjar met both his criteria for deploying US force: protecting American lives and assets, and averting a humanitarian disaster.
“When we have the unique capacity to avert a massacre, the United States cannot turn a blind eye,” he said.
Unless that place is GAZA!
I'm am SERIOUSLY BEGINNING to wonder about THIS MAN'S MENTAL HEALTH!
Obama has been reluctant to order direct military action in Iraq while Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki remains in office, but in recent weeks there had been repeated pleas from Kurdish officials for arms, weapons, and assistance as Islamic State militants have swept across northwestern Iraq.
He can turn a blind eye and deaf ear toward Maliki.
The militants, an offshoot of Al Qaeda, view Iraq’s majority Shi’ite and minority Christians and Yazidis, a Kurdish religious group, as infidels.
Another Al-CIA-Duh inspired group!
Deliberations at the White House went on all day Thursday, as reports surfaced that administration officials were considering either humanitarian flights, airstrikes, or both.
Shortly after 6 p.m., the White House released a photo of Obama consulting his national security team in the Situation Room. To his right was the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin E. Dempsey. Watching from across the table were Susan E. Rice, the national security adviser, and her principal deputy, Antony J. Blinken. On the wall behind them, the clock recorded the time: 10:37 a.m.
Was it a fake like the one where they were watching the Seals kill bin laden (or whoever that was) to blank computer screens?
Obama made only one public appearance, a rushed visit to Fort Belvoir, Va., where he signed into law a bill expanding access to health care for veterans. Before getting into his limousine, Obama was observed holding an intense conversation with his chief of staff, Denis R. McDonough, stabbing his finger several times for emphasis. Minutes after signing the bill and shaking a few hands, he rushed back to his limousine and returned to the White House.
Later, the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, confirmed that Obama was weighing action in Iraq and warned about the danger of a humanitarian catastrophe. But he declined to offer any details about a potential military operation, prompting a storm of questions about why, if the danger was so dire, Obama was not acting immediately.
So what agenda needed to be advanced at this exact time?
Administration officials said Thursday that the crisis on Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq forced their hand. Some 40 children have already died from the heat and dehydration, according to the United Nations organization, UNICEF, while more than 40,000 people have been sheltering in the bare mountains without food, water, or access to supplies.
Once Obama made the decision to approve the humanitarian airdrops Thursday, administration officials said, the decision for airstrikes became more probable. For one thing, the US C-130 planes that drop the food and medical supplies fly low and heavy and release the supplies at 500-1,200 feet.
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"Obama authorizes renewed airstrikes in Iraq
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama authorized U.S. airstrikes in northern Iraq Thursday night, warning they would be launched if needed to defend Americans from advancing Islamic militants and protect civilians under siege. His announcement threatened a renewal of U.S. military involvement in the country's long sectarian war.
Obama said American military planes already had carried out airdrops of humanitarian aid to tens of thousands of Iraqi religious minorities surrounded by militants and desperately in need of food and water.
"Today America is coming to help," he declared in a televised late-night statement from the White House.
(Rest of the world shudders)
The announcements reflected the deepest American engagement in Iraq since U.S. troops withdrew in late 2011 after nearly a decade of war. Obama, who made his remarks in a steady and somber tone, has staked much of his legacy as president on ending what he has called the "dumb war" in Iraq.
It's already an abysmal failure, so don't hassle it.
Obama said the humanitarian airdrops were made at the request of the Iraqi government. The food and water supplies were delivered to the tens of thousands of Yazidis trapped on a mountain without food and water. The Yazidis, who follow an ancient religion with ties to Zoroastrianism, fled their homes after the Islamic State group issued an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a religious fine, flee their homes or face death.
I'm not wanting the Yazidis to suffer at the hands of ISIS; however, when do the food drops to American cities begin?
"The situation is nearing a humanitarian catastrophe," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "We are gravely concerned for their health and safety."
Because they are not Gazan?
In recent days, the Islamic State militants have swept through villages in the north that are home to religious minorities including Christians and the Yazidis, who follow an ancient religion with ties to Zoroastrianism. Furthering their gains, the extremists seized Iraq's largest dam Thursday, placing them in control of enormous power and water resources and access to the river that runs through the heart of Baghdad.
Then the FLOODING of BAGHDAD should have BEGUN!
Obama used the threat of an imminent humanitarian crisis as a rationale for limited U.S. military action in Libya in 2010, as forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi threatened a massacre in Benghazi. The U.S. and NATO partners launched a bombing campaign over Libya, with Obama moving forward without congressional approval."
Did you see that?
"Adding to the concern is Russia’s proposal in recent days for a humanitarian mission to eastern Ukraine. ‘‘We share the concern that Russia could use the pretext of a humanitarian or peacekeeping mission to send troops into eastern Ukraine,’’ NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in an e-mailed statement."
WHO is DOING THAT?
WHO HAS DONE IT in IRAQ?!! WMD when they knew he had none!
Mindful of the public's aversion to another lengthy war, Obama acknowledged that the prospect of a new round of U.S. military action would be a cause for concern among many Americans. He vowed anew not to put American combat troops back on the ground in Iraq and said there was no U.S. military solution to the crisis.
Except he already put troops back in.
"As commander in chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq," Obama said.
Even so, he outlined a rationale for airstrikes if the Islamic State militants advance on American troops in the northern city of Irbil and the U.S. consulate there in the Kurdish region of Iraq. The troops were sent to Iraq earlier this year as part of the White House response to the extremist group's swift movement across the border with Syria and into Iraq.
"When the lives of American citizens are at risk, we will take action," Obama said. "That's my responsibility as commander in chief."
Unless they are under threat from Israel. Then it's oh, well, wait a minute, you know.
He said he had also authorized the use of targeted military strikes if necessary to help the Iraqi security forces protect civilians.
Missile strikes never seem to help civilians.
Obama spoke following a day of urgent discussions with his national security team. He addressed the nation only after the American military aircraft delivering food and water to the Iraqis had safely left the drop site in northern Iraq.
The Pentagon said the airdrops were performed by one C-17 and two C-130 cargo aircraft that together delivered a total of 72 bundles of food and water. They were escorted by two F/A-18 fighters from an undisclosed air base in the region.
The planes delivered 5,300 gallons of fresh drinking water and 8,000 pre-packaged meals and were over the drop area for less than 15 minutes at a low altitude.
The president cast the mission to assist the Yazidis as part of the American mandate to assist around the world when the U.S. has the unique capabilities to help avert a massacre.
But NOT in GAZA!
In those cases, Obama said, "we can act carefully and responsibly to prevent a potential act of genocide."
Officials said the U.S. was prepared to undertake additional humanitarian airdrops if necessary, though they did not say how quickly those missions could occur.
In Gaza?
Administration officials said they believe unilateral U.S. strikes would be consistent with international law in part because the Iraqi government has asked for Washington to take military action. They also said Obama had the constitutional authority to act on his own in order to protect American citizens.
They look rather defensive on this. I was going to ask about a U.N. resolution, too.
Still, there was no guarantee that the president's threat of military strikes would actually be followed by action. He similarly authorized strikes in Syria last summer after chemical weapons were deployed, but those attacks were never carried out, in part because of domestic political concerns and also because an international agreement to strip Syria of its stockpiles of the deadly gases.
Don't worry; he followed through on this one and John Kerry did not put his foot in his mouth this time.
The president has also faced persistent calls to take military action in Syria on humanitarian grounds, given that more than 170,000 people have been killed there.
Critics, including some Republicans in Congress, have argued that Obama's cautious approach to Syria has allowed the Islamic State group to flourish there, growing strong enough to move across the border with Iraq and make swift gains.
Republican Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina praised Obama's proposed actions Thursday night but said much more will be necessary.
"This should include the provision of military and other assistance to our Kurdish, Iraqi, and Syrian partners" who are fighting the militants, airstrikes against the militants' leaders and forces and support for Sunni Iraqis who seek to resist the extremists, they said in a statement.
In light of the militants' advances, Obama dispatched about 800 U.S. forces to Iraq earlier this year, with those troops largely split between joint operation centers in Baghdad and Irbil.
But he is not calling them combat troops, and is not the timing interesting?
More than half are providing security for the embassy and U.S. personnel. American service members also are involved in improving U.S. intelligence, providing security cooperation and conducting assessments of Iraqi capabilities.
Meaning they are IN COMBAT!
Officials said there were no plans to evacuate those Americans from Iraq but that the U.S. was conducting enhanced intelligence flights over Irbil with both manned and unmanned aircrafts in order to monitor the deteriorating conditions.
If the president were to order actual airstrikes in Iraq, it's all but certain he would proceed without formal congressional approval. Lawmakers left town last week for a five-week recess, and there was no sign that Congress was being called back.
Related: "Representative Chris Smith, a New Jersey Republican, called the rare emergency hearing during the August congressional recess to address international efforts to combat the [Ebola] outbreak."
But no sign they are being called back at all.
However, officials said the White House was in contact throughout Thursday with some lawmakers, including House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Some Republicans have expressly called for the president to take action and have said he doesn't need the approval of lawmakers.
We know WAR is a biparti$an i$$ue with them.
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Also see:
Occupation Iraq: ISIS in Stasis
Obama Sending Troops Back Into Iraq
Obama Orders Air Strikes on Iraq
ISIS Insurgency All About Removing Maliki
The Drone Wars: Iraq
They have begun!
US fighter jets strike Sunni militants in Iraq
The leader of the militant group sent a defiant message to the Americans in an audio statement posted on Twitter. “I address this message to America, the holder of the Cross,” wrote the leader, known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. “Listen up, those who fight on your behalf will not give you any gains in Iraq and Syria. Soon enough, you will find yourself in a direct confrontation with the sons of Islam, who have prepared themselves well for the day we will fight you.”
Looks like a false flag terror attack in the works and on the way.
Related: Simon Elliot, aka Al-Baghdadi, son of Jewish parents, Mossad agent
Well that just stinks!
Shiite leader, Sami al-Askeri, who is close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said Obama’s call for airstrikes had come “too late.” “They should have made this decision when hundreds of Shiites and Sunnis were being killed every day,” he said. “Iraqis must rely on themselves and their genuine friends like Iran and Russia, who have supported Iraq in its battle against ISIS,” he said.
Related: Maliki to Remain Prime Minister
UPDATE: US launches second round of airstrikes in Iraq
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"Saddam Hussein’s tomb damaged in fighting" Associated Press August 06, 2014
BAGHDAD — The tomb of Iraq’s deceased dictator Saddam Hussein was damaged in clashes between militants from the Islamic State radical group and government soldiers in his hometown, according to local officials Tuesday.
The tomb only suffered minor damage in the battles, according to a local official in the town of Ouja, who spoke on condition of anonymity for his own safety, and he dismissed a statement by the Islamists posted on a jihadi website that said it had been totally destroyed.
Amateur video that cannot be independently verified has emerged showing the huge portraits of Hussein smashed at the site and flowerbeds wrecked. The deposed Iraqi leader was executed at the end of 2006 and his supporters built him a lavish tomb.
Iraq is facing its worst crisis since the US military pulled out of the country in 2011, as radical Islamist militants have seized large swaths of the north and west in cooperation with local Sunnis, who have long distrusted the Shi’ite-dominated government.
Well, we will just have to reoccupy then.
Many of the Islamists’ Sunni allies, however, revere Hussein and the damage to the tomb could deepen splits in the antigovernment alliance.
Iraq’s government has been struggling to unite to confront the threat in the north but in a sign of its lingering divisions, Parliament postponed a discussion over who would be the next prime minister because the Shi’ite parties can still not agree on a candidate.
Meanwhile, a lawmaker from the Yazidi minority group made an impassioned plea in Parliament to save her people, who have been fleeing persecution from the militants in the north.
Obama heard ya!
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"Car bombs kill 51 in Shi’ite neighborhoods of Baghdad" by Sameer N. Yacoub and Sinan Salaheddin | Associated Press August 07, 2014
BAGHDAD — A string of car bombs tore through busy shopping streets in several Baghdad neighborhoods Wednesday night, killing 51 people as the army announced that one of its airstrikes had killed 60 militants in the northern city of Mosul.
Baghdad police said the first attack was a pair of car bombs that exploded in the densely populated Shi’ite neighborhood of Sadr City, killing 31 people, followed by another bomb in the nearby area of Ur that claimed another 11 lives.
Nine more people were killed in the southeast of the city shortly afterward by two more car bombs.
Baghdad has been on edge since Sunni militants led by the radical Islamic State group conquered large swaths of the country’s north, including the second-largest city of Mosul. While the fighters have stopped short of advancing on the capital, there has been a steady campaign of car bombs in the city, though none this deadly.
Related: Occupation Iraq: Divide and Conquer
Who are the terrorists again?
The attack came as state-run television announced a rare government victory with an airstrike against a key building in Mosul that killed 60 suspected militants earlier in the day.
The report, which cited unnamed intelligence officials, could not be independently verified, nor did it say whether any civilians had been killed in the strike on Mosul.
The report said the strike freed about 300 people held by the Islamic State group at a downtown Mosul prison it had been using as a religious court and detention center.
Phone calls to Iraqi officials rang unanswered Wednesday.
The onslaught by the Islamic State backed by local Sunni militants has plunged Iraq into its worst crisis since the withdrawal of US troops in 2011.
Don't worry, America is coming to help!
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