Governor of Iraq Sunni heartland says U.S. to help against militants
Source: Reuters
(Reuters) - The governor of Iraq's Sunni heartland province of Anbar said he has secured a promise of U.S. support in a battle against the Islamic State, possibly reviving an alliance that helped thwart an earlier Sunni militant threat, from al Qaeda.
Ahmed Khalaf al-Dulaimi told Reuters his request, made in meetings with U.S. diplomats and a senior military officer, included air support against the militants who have a tight grip on large parts of his desert province and northwestern Iraq.
Dulaimi said the Americans had promised to help. There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials on a day when President Barack Obama said troops sent to prepare a possible evacuation of refugees further north were standing down as U.S. air strikes and supply drops had broken the "siege of Mount Sinjar".
Governor Dulaimi said in a telephone interview: "Our first goal is the air support. Their technology capability will offer a lot of intelligence information and monitoring of the desert and many things which we are in need of.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/14/us-iraq-security-usa-military-idUSKBN0GD1KS20140814