8/12/2019 US Begins Air Strikes Against Isis Targets in Iraq, Pentagon Says

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US begins air strikes against Isis targets in

Iraq, Pentagon saysBarack Obama authorised targeted air strikes against militant jihadists on Thursday toassist in protection of civilians

Dan Roberts inWashington and Spencer Ackerman in New York-riday ! "ugust

#$%& 'urdish peshmerga troops participate in an intensivesecurity deployment against (slamic )tate militants in *akhmur+ on the outskirts of theprovince of Nineveh "ugust ,+ #$%& hotograph. /euters American warplanes began bombing Islamic militant targets outside the Kurdish cityof Irbil on Friday, in the first offensie action by the US in Iraq since it withdrewground troops in !"##$

ollowing authority granted by Barack Obama on Thursday+ the entagon said two "-%! jets dropped 0$$-pound laser-guided bombs on fighters with the (slamic )tate+ alsoknown as (sis or (sil1

The 2) claimed the militants were using artillery to shell peshmerga forces defending(rbil and threatening 2) personnel in the city1

“ "s the president made clear+ the 2nited )tates military will continue to take directaction against (sil when they threaten our personnel and facilities+3 said entagonspokesman /ear "dmiral 4ohn 'irby1

2) military aircraft conduct strike on ()(5 artillery1 "rtillery was usedagainst 'urdish forces defending 6rbil+ near 2) personnel1

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 — /ear "dm1 4ohn 'irby 78entagonres)ec9 "ugust !+ #$%&

Obama:s orders to his military commanders were widely drafted and includedpermission to take action against (sis forces threatening either the thousands of Ya;idirefugees trapped on *ount )injar+ or the cities of (rbil and Baghdad+ where 2)<military advisers3 are based1

The 2) portrayed its initial action on riday as a necessary step to protect its jointoperation centre in (rbil+ which is being used to co-ordinate defences with eshmergafighters1 <The fact of the matter is we have people in (rbil and if (rbil is allow to fall+ theywill be at risk+3 said national security adviser Ben /hodes on riday1

But 2) jets have been operating over 'urdish areas for some time and the entagonbelieves the (slamic militants advancing toward (rbil pose a significant threat to the city1

)ince Obama spoke from the White =ouse on Thursday night+ there has beenrelatively little criticism of his return to (ra>i military interventions in ?ongress1 =owever 

there is thought to be deep unease within the White =ouse about the risk of beingsucked back into a prolonged campaign against (sis1

White =ouse officials+ briefing reporters on Thursday night+ made clear that the latestintervention was triggered by the rapid (sis advance on (rbil+ although Obama alsostressed the need for the 2) to take action to prevent possible genocide of the Ya;idipopulation1

)eparate humanitarian air drops have already began to bring relief to the thousands of trapped Ya;idis1 Obama described the threats against the stranded refugees asholding the potential for <genocide31

The two "-%! =ornets that carried out riday:s operation were launched from the2)) @eorge =W Bush aircraft carrier in the @ulf1 The operation began at %1&0pm local

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ollowing Obama:s authorisation to his military commanders+ they are able to actindependently of the White =ouse on tactical matters1 <The decision to strike wasmade by the 2) central command commander under authorisation granted him by thecommander-in-chief+3 said 'irby1

(n ?ongress+ /epublicans and many emocrats welcomed the 2) intervention but>uestioned White =ouse strategy for dealing the broader threat from (sis1

“The president:s authori;ation of airstrikes is appropriate+ but like many "mericans+ (am dismayed by the ongoing absence of a strategy for countering the grave threat (sisposes to the region+3 said =ouse speaker 4ohn Boehner  in a statement1“Cital national interests are at stake+ yet the White =ouse has remained disengageddespite warnings from (ra>i leaders+ ?ongress+ and even members of its ownadministration1 )uch parochial thinking only emboldens the enemy and s>uanders thesacrifices "mericans have made13

*eanwhile+ the "ssociated ress reported that cargo planes dropped parachutedcrates of food and water over an area in the mountains outside )injar+ wherethousands of members of the Ya;idi minority where sheltering+ according to witnessesin the militant-held town+ who asked not to be identified for security reasons1

The (ra>i ministry of immigration and the displaced welcomed the aid drops1 Theministry:s spokesman+ )atar Nawrou;+ said the drops came <just in time13

Tens of thousands of Ya;idis have been trapped in the mountains since the (slamic)tate overran )injar1 The militants issued an ultimatum to the Ya;idis+ telling them they

must convert to (slam+ pay a religious taD+ flee or face death1aced with the threats+ about 0$+$$$ Ya;idis half of them children+ according to 2Nfigures fled to the nearby mountains+ where they were running out of food and water1

8/12/2019 US Begins Air Strikes Against Isis Targets in Iraq, Pentagon Says

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@raphic. @uardianEaddy "llenOn a visit to (ndia+ 2) defence secretary ?huck =agel told reporters that more than A$of the ,# bundles of food and water airdropped onto the mountain reached the peoplestranded there1

 " representative of (ra>:s most influential )hiite cleric+ @rand "yatollah "li al-)istani+

called for a more comprehensive international intervention to support the (ra>igovernment1

“The condemnation and consolation statements in support of the affected people+ orsending some humanitarian aid+ is not enough1 /ather+ solid plans+ in cooperation withthe (ra>i government+ should be put in place to confront and eliminate the terrorists+3said al-)istani:s spokesman "bdul-*ahdi al-'arbalaie in his riday sermon in the holycity of 'arbala1

(sis+ which has carved out a self-styled caliphate across wide swaths of )yria and (ra>+sei;ed (ra>:s largest hydroelectric dam on Thursday+ taking control of enormous power 

and water resources and leverage over the Tigris /iver that runs through the heart ofBaghdad1

On Thursday the group said it has sei;ed %, (ra>i cities+ towns and targets includingthe dam and a military base over the past five days+ including Fara>oush+ the largest?hristian village in (ra>1

(n (rbil+ about G+$$$ ?hristians who fled their homes in Fara>oush huddled inside )t14oseph:s cathedral1 They said they were happy about the possibility of "merican

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airstrikes1 <We are pleased with the airstrikes and we hope we can go back to ourproperties+3 said one of the Fara>oush refugees+ &G-year-old 5uay 4anan1

The "ssociated ress contributed to this report

Posted by %haam