Airstrikes on ISIS Militants Have Begun, Kurds and Iraqis Say

[kpete]

Last edited Thu Aug 7, 2014, 06:24 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — Airstrikes on towns in northern Iraq seized by Islamist militants began late Thursday in what Kurdish and Iraqi officials called the first stage of an American-led intervention to blunt the militants’ advance and provide emergency aid to tens of thousands of refugees.

The Pentagon firmly denied that American forces had begun a bombing campaign. But Pentagon officials said it was possible that allies of the United States, either the Iraqi or Turkish militaries, had conducted the bombing.

Kurdish and Iraqi officials attributed the bombing campaign to American forces. An announcement on Kurdish television of what was described as an American intervention prompted street celebrations and horn-honking by residents of towns under seige by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Continue reading the main story
RELATED IN OPINION

Room for Debate: A Return to the Fight in IraqAUG. 7, 2014
Kurdish officials said the bombings initially had targeted ISIS fighters who had seized two towns, Gwer and Mahmour. A top Iraqi official in Baghdad close to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq said that the Americans had consulted with the Iraqi government Thursday night about starting the campaign, the government had agreed and the bombing began.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/08/world/middleeast/obama-weighs-military-strikes-to-aid-trapped-iraqis-officials-say.html

---

story keeps changing, trying to keep up...

[Marrah_G]

1. I hope they do drop food, water, medicine and quickly.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

2. Yes, bomb them with kindness.

[KoKo]

8. LOL's...How does one Bomb with Kindness in these times?

We shall See... If any REAL info comes out.

[WHEN CRABS ROAR]

10. I should have said, drop food, water and needed supplies.

But a large dose of kindness wouldn't hurt.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Denial by Pentagon, may be Turkish or other air forces doing strikes.

That's my guess, anyway.

[Berlin Expat]

4. Apparently,

it's the Iraqi Air Force.

https://twitter.com/jenanmoussa/status/497506558624792576

[chrisa]

5. I don't think we should be meddling in Iraq any further.

With that being said, ISIS fundamentalists being blown apart isn't bad news.

[cstanleytech]

6. Doubt its US forces as I dont see congress authorizing it if Obama even wanted it because

every time he wants something the republicans in congress would oppose it even if what he wanted was something simple like for them to stop behaving like assholes.

[Fred Sanders]

7. If America is supplying intel and an AWACS plane is this considered an air strike by America or does

An American pilot have to pull the trigger?

What difference does it make to the ultimate goal if someone else clean up their own backyards?

That America does not get to breast beat about it's awesome military?

[KoKo]

9. Congress is out of town but a few phone calls could get the key leaders onboard.

Hard to know whats going on..