Posted on 08/08/2014 7:39:00 AM PDT by Jonah Vark
Washington (CNN) -- Two U.S. F/A-18 jet fighters bombed artillery batteries of Sunni Islamic extremists in Iraq on Friday, escalating America's military involvement more than two years after President Barack Obama brought home forces from the country.
Obama authorized "targeted airstrikes" if needed to protect U.S. personnel from fighters with the Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. The U.S. military also could use airstrikes to prevent what officials warn could be a genocide of minority groups by the Islamic State fighters.
The U.S. aircraft dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs on a "mobile artillery piece" used by ISIS at about 6:45 a.m. ET Friday, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said. The commander of U.S. Central Command made the decision to strike under authorization granted him by Obama, Kirby said.
The Islamic State has advanced toward what officials call U.S. interests in Iraq's Kurdish region in the north this week, taking towns from the Kurdish fighting force, known as the Peshmerga. READ MORE.......
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
They are comming off Carriers. The first attack was from The USS George H.W. Bush. Kinda ironic...
Could be flat-tops or from Incirlik, Turkey.
I believe we still have an air base in Kuwait.
Almost certainly these strikes are carrier-based. There is no airfield immediately available for launch, or at least, not one that would not be routed over what must be considered “hostile” airspace now.
Now perhaps the Current Occupant can see how these things slip into a much broader engagement, and he might, MIGHT, have a little understanding how Presidents before him have been drawn into “mission creep”.
“targeted air strikes”...
Probably targeting baron desert areas.
But didn’t Obama say George Bush should not have gone into Iraq? Why is it OK for him? There were Americans living there after 9/11, right? And Saddam was killing innocent people. What’s the difference?
They’re probably being ordered to drop big bags of flour.
Not a good time to have an aspirin factory in Iraq.
Airstrikes Begin: U.S. Navy Planes Drop Bombs on ISIS Forces
The bombs, 500 pounds each, were dropped by two Navy F-18 fighter jets near Erbil, the strategically important city that serves as the Kurdish capital, and where the United States has a consulate. ISIS was using the artillery to shell Kurdish forces defending Erbil, the Pentagon said.
The fighter jets took off from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, in the Persian Gulf. The mission marked a return to U.S. military engagement in Iraq, three years after Obama removed U.S. forces.
This is another Very Big Nothing ,because Obama had to come out and Brag about it
Ahh... the regime always engineering the "Bush's fault" talking point
Also, remember that there were news reports that air strikes had already occurred, but the White House and Pentagon denied both it.
Well, it seems in his view, war is never the answer, right? Except when it is.
Several hours after denying it, they say they have authorized limited air strikes.
I think some pilots had had enough of seeing children being beheaded and their heads being displayed on pikes, and Obama doing nothing about it, and they decided to take matters into their own hands. I think Obama's after-the-fact "authorization" is just his attempt to cover up a mutiny.
I suspect he wants to generate a crisis as an excuse to bring in even more Muzzie refugees into this country.
Never let a crisis go to waste.
Coinkidink? I think not.
Its less than 100 days before mid-term elections. He is poling under 40%. He is about to lose the Senate. Putin and Russia has been challenging his "manhood" .... Everyone knows he's a really bad gay golfer married to a tranny. His liberal bosses know they are about to have to move back to Berkley.... any number of reasons.
You misunderstand the objective.
The objective is to effectively begin to establish the new border. ISIL is being told stop that shit!
Stay away from the Kurds.
Yeah.... I don’t think that was the white house’s call. I think the military rotated that carrier group there.
Wow....impressive. /sarc
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