News: Obama says 'small number' of military advisers going to Iraq

LilKim

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Conservative hawks says Obama didn't go far enough
- President Obama outlines steps to bolster Iraq against ISIS fighters
- CNN military analyst: "It is boots on the ground"
- U.S. forces will advise Iraq's military, collect intelligence

Quote:

President Barack Obama said Thursday he was sending up to 300 military advisers to Iraq to help the embattled government hold off a lightning advance from the north by Sunni militants.

Obama told White House reporters the goal was to prevent a civil war in Iraq that could destabilize the region, and also prevent creation of a terrorist safe haven in northern Iraq and neighboring Syria from which U.S. enemies could plan and launch attacks against American interests.

"We have had advisers in Iraq through our embassy and we are prepared to send a small number of additional American military advisers -- up to 300 -- to assess how we can best train, advise and support Iraqi security forces going forward," the President said.

'American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq but we will help Iraqis as they take the fight to terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people, the region and American interests as well," he added.

Quote:

Obama also made clear that he blamed al-Maliki for worsening Iraq's deep sectarian divide by failing to include Sunni and Kurdish interests in his policies.

He called on a new Iraqi government recently elected to adopt more inclusive policies, and said he was sending Secretary of State John Kerry to the region to promote such an approach. U.S. sources say Kerry is expected to travel to Iraq soon.

"Unless there is a coming together and elimination of the mistrust and addressing of the sense of isolation of different segments of Iraqi society -- unless people are brought together in order to try to bring the country together it's going to be -- there is no single military solution," Kerry told reporters on Thursday.

Quote:

"To help Iraqis contain the current violence and protect our national security interests, I support President Obama's decision to deploy a very limited number of advisers to Iraq for a non-combat training mission," said a statement Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

He said that "any U.S. role in Iraq must remain sharply limited in scope," arguing that government funds should be for rebuilding infrastructure at home instead of more war in Iraq.

FULL ARTICLE - http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/19/po...html?hpt=hp_t1

.:Allen:.

Please let this not escalate onto another war. Obama made a smart choice. He shouldn't go as far as the Conservatives want to go.

LilKim

Quote:

Originally posted by .:Allen:.

Please let this not escalate onto another war. Obama made a smart choice. He shouldn't go as far as the Conservatives want to go.

He ultimately chose to send 3x more than the expected amount advisor's to be sent. My personal belief is that is anything George bush sparked this with his over-extensive banter in Al-Qaeda. So I think Obama's decision of not going in with 'full force' can be a positive or (hopefully not) A negative. I just feel the statement of 'We will not prevail with forceful intake , as the first step is to presume the poilitical leadership in the country, If they just wait and hope that the People have an epiphany and decide to do that the war will just get SO much worse. If they over-take Baghdad, The damage will be Exponentially worse.
Let's just hope this will work.

Summertime Love

Please let this NOT escalate onto another war.