Iraqi and Kurdish officials welcome US airdrops

[DonViejo]

Source: ASSOCIATED PRESS

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi and Kurdish officials have welcomed the U.S. decision to authorize airdrops of humanitarian aid and airstrikes in northern Iraq to counter advancing Sunni radical militants.

A string of victories across the north of the country by the radical Islamic State group and their allies have sent Iraq’s minorities fleeing for their lives, exacerbating the country’s already-dire humanitarian crisis with another 200,000 displaced.

“We thank Barack Obama,” said Khalid Jamal Alber, of the Ministry of Religious Affairs for the Kurdish autonomous region of northern Iraq. “Kurdistan is the place for religious minorities.” Iraq’s Ministry of the Displaced also welcomed the aid drops.

The announcements by President Obama reflected the deepest American engagement in Iraq since U.S. troops withdrew in late 2011 after nearly a decade of war.

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Read more: http://www.salon.com/2014/08/08/iraqi_and_kurdish_officials_welcome_us_airdrops/

[Cha]

1. So horrendous.. The can of unholy worms that the bush-cheney neo-cons unleashed in Irag.

Mahalo Don

[rtracey]

2. as do I

Good, now help these people stuck on the mountain get relief, then proceed to bomb the piss out of ISIS.

[7962]

3. Like it or not, its ALWAYS up to the US. Thats just the way it is.

Where is Saudi Arabia? Jordan? Any EU country? ANYBODY??? No, nobody is willing to risk anything or spend anything to stop tens of thousands of people from starving to death. Except the US. As is usually the case. When we continually talk of cutting the military (which can be done a RIGHT way), this is what we're up against. And this first action is just dropping food and water!!! Any country could do that for these people.
Whether we like it or not, the US is pretty much the ONLY country that will actually help people almost anywhere. We even offered help to Iran after their earthquake. It is what it is. We either continue to try to be the good guys, or sit back and watch the world go into the crapper because we dont get involved. If we dont stop ISIS, NOBODY will. And they will spread like a cancer. They're already promising to do just that.

[rtracey]

4. totally agree

My complete thoughts also....Where the hell is the rest of the world, beside the shits that support ISIS....

[7962]

6. Speaking of which, who exactly IS supporting them?

I mean, Isis is against Assad and Iraq, who are both backed by Iran/Russia. So the Saudis, Jordan, egypt, etc arent supporting them either, as far as I know, although they DID aid the rebels in Syria, who were soon taken over by ISIS. So in a way, I guess they're partially responsible. we arent funding them. China doesnt seem to be in the mix there. So WHO is backing them now?

Oh, and Dick Cheney is responsible for all of it. Saddam wouldve crushed this by now.

[Turbineguy]

5. Gen. McCaffrey

was on CNBC this morning decrying this. He seemed to be talking out of his ass. I was surprised, as a general, he should know better. Simon Hobbs ate it up.

[Baclava]

7. so if we arm the Kurds, the Turks will get pissed

yeah - this could get touchy

[Leontius]

8. Turkey is proably a lost cause anyway. As long as Edrogan and his cronies control

Turkey they're suspect allies at best.

[freshwest]

9. Thanks. Too much disinformation being pushed, good to see this piece.

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, DonViejo.