WASHINGTON– Some of the manned and unmanned aircraft that the United States is flying over Iraq are armed to protect newly arrived American military advisers on the ground, Pentagon press secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said Friday. The aircraft are being flown with the Iraqi government’s permission, the admiral said during a regular Pentagon […]
The first of the up to 300 military advisers President Barack Obama committed to help Iraq counter a Sunni militant surge have begun their assessment mission. Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters two special operations teams started their work on Tuesday. “We have begun to deploy initial assessment teams. Two special operations teams […]
IRBIL — Any American assistance to the beleaguered government of Nouri al-Maliki to push back a jihadist-led Sunni Muslim insurgency needs to take into account the widespread suspicion of U.S. motives across Iraq’s sectarian divide, caution analysts.They say that almost whatever the Obama administration does to bolster Iraq’s Shia Muslim-dominated government, encourage a more inclusive replacement […]
U.S. officials are signalling that they are willing to work with Iran to solve the crisis taking place in Iraq, but say they will await information from Iran as to what they are willing to do to tamp down the escalating violence as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria continue to take territory in […]