Late Thursday night, President Obama gave a press conference on the devolving situation in Iraq. Although the President does not plan on putting combat troops on the ground, he presented a plan “to prevent a potential act of genocide” against the Yazidi.
Isis forces in Iraq are currently calling for the systematic destruction of the Yazidi, an ethnic and religious minority native to Iraq. Currently, around 40,000 Yazidi are pinned atop Mount Sinjar, surrounded by Isis jihadists. President Obama has authorized targeted airstrikes if necessary to help forces break the siege on the mountain, and prevent the advance of Islamic militants toward American installations in the cities of Erbil and Baghdad.
President Obama also authorized a humanitarian effort to bring relief to the Yazidi currently trapped on Mount Sinjar.
“The US cannot and should not intervene every time there is a crisis in the world,” said President Obama Thursday night. “When we face a situation like we do on that mountain, with innocent people facing the prospect of violence on a horrific scale, and when we have a mandate to help, and when we have the unique capabilities to help avert a massacre, then i believe that the US cannot turn a blind eye. We can act, carefully and responsibility, to prevent a potential act of genocide.”
Meanwhile, diplomacy is hard at work in Gaza:
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