President Barack Obama speaks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2014, about ongoing situation in Iraq before his departure on Marine One for a vacation in Martha's Vineyard. Obama announced late Thursday that ... more >
President Obama said Saturday the U.S. military has been successful so far in carrying out airstrikes against Islamist militants in Iraq and humanitarian food drops for Iraqi refugees threatened by the terrorists.
'So far these strikes have successfully destroyed arms and equipment' that the terrorists could have used against American personnel, Mr. Obama said in a brief news conference on the South Lawn of the White House.
SEE ALSO: Obama warns of more trouble in Iraq, then heads out to Martha's VineyardThe president said the U.S. humanitarian mission also has conducted two successful air drops of food for the ethnic minority Iraqis trapped on a mountain in northern Iraq. Mr. Obama also said he spoke Saturday morning to British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande, who have agreed to help aid in the humanitarian mission.
The U.S. military has carried out at least three rounds of airstrikes against the militants in Iraq in a renewed effort to bolster the Iraqi and Kurdish forces. The strikes targeted fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including a convoy, mortars and artillery, said Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby.
The president could not give an estimate of how long this latest military mission will last.
'I'm not going to give a particular timetable,' Mr. Obama told reporters. 'Wherever or whenever U.S. personnel or facilities are threatened, it's my obligation ... to make sure they're protected.'
After giving the update on the situation in Iraq, Mr. Obama departed on Marine One, headed for a two-week vacation with his family on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Entities 0 Name: Obama Count: 7 1 Name: Iraq Count: 6 2 Name: U.S. Count: 4 3 Name: Martha Count: 3 4 Name: White House Count: 2 5 Name: Islamic State of Iraq Count: 1 6 Name: Francois Hollande Count: 1 7 Name: French Count: 1 8 Name: Washington Count: 1 9 Name: South Lawn Count: 1 10 Name: Levant Count: 1 11 Name: Iraqi Count: 1 12 Name: American Count: 1 13 Name: South Lawn of Count: 1 14 Name: John Kirby Count: 1 15 Name: British Count: 1 16 Name: David Cameron Count: 1 17 Name: Barack Obama Count: 1 18 Name: Pentagon Count: 1 19 Name: Massachusetts Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/V9pZpZ Title: Obama returns to the quagmire he exited in Iraq Description: For three years, President Obama has declared himself the man who closed the door on a dark decade of U.S. war in Iraq. Now he has opened the door again. Other than insisting no U.S.