World Obama: All options open on Iraq by Joseph Anthony June 12, 2014 written by Joseph Anthony June 12, 2014 225 US President Barack Obama says his government is looking at “all options”, including military action, to help Iraq fight Islamist militants. He said the US had an interest in making sure jihadists did not gain a foothold in Iraq. His remarks came after the cities of Mosul and Tikrit fell to Sunni Islamist insurgents during a lightning advance. A parliamentary vote to grant PM Nouri Maliki emergency powers was delayed earlier after MPs failed to turn up. Just 128 out of the 325 MPs were present for the vote. Led by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), the insurgents are believed to be planning to push further south to the capital, Baghdad, and regions dominated by Iraq’s Shia Muslim majority, whom they regard as “infidels”. Unconfirmed reports on Thursday said Iraqi forces had launched air strikes on Mosul and Tikrit targeting the militants. Insurgent advance “There will be some short-term immediate things that need to be done militarily,” Mr Obama told reporters at the White House as he met Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. “I don’t rule out anything because we do have a stake in making sure these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in Iraq, or Syria for that matter.” Iraq’s ambassador to the US, Lukman Faily, earlier told the BBC this was the “most serious situation” faced by the country in recent years. Government forces slowed the insurgents’ advance on Wednesday outside Samarra, a city just 110km (68 miles) north of Baghdad. But reports have emerged of the rebels bypassing Samarra and seizing the town of Dhuluiya, 90km north-west of the capital. Security in Baghdad has been stepped up after a video emerged of the militants threatening to march on the city. The insurgents also control a large swathe of territory in eastern Syria, amid a campaign to set up a Sunni militant enclave straddling the border. The UN Security Council has condemned the attacks on Mosul and Tikrit. The humanitarian situation around Mosul, where up to 500,000 people have fled, was “dire and… worsening by the moment”, it said. 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail Joseph Anthony previous post Boko Haram’s terror targets many, spares few next post Obasanjo awaits Jonathan’s nod for Boko Haram talks You may also like Artemis II Returns Safely After Historic Human Mission... April 11, 2026 UK Pauses Chagos Islands Deal Amid US Tensions... April 11, 2026 NASA Artemis II Heads to Moon as Orion... April 4, 2026 Pope Leo Visits Monaco and Urges Wealthy to... March 28, 2026 UK Sanctions Crypto Network Linked to Global Scam... March 26, 2026 UK Submarine Deployed to Arabian Sea: What It... March 22, 2026 UK and INTERPOL Launch Global Taskforce to Hunt... March 17, 2026 Pope Leo XIV Calls for Immediate Ceasefire as... March 16, 2026 Governments Worldwide Rush to Contain Fuel and Food... March 14, 2026 Why You Should Join the Chijos News WhatsApp... February 27, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel Reply Type in the text displayed above
