(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) US President Barack Obama announced Monday that he has reached out to the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and Australia to build an international coalition to address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.
He told reporters that he gave assurances that US airstrikes against ISIL in northern Iraq have been "effective," and he lauded the "courage and determination" of Kurdish and Iraqi forces who together have recaptured the Mosul Dam from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). While admitting there are "many challenges ahead" in the battle against the extremist group, Obama said the US "will continue to pursue a long term strategy" to curb ISIL's advances. As US airstrikes continue to target convoys and facilities belonging to the ISIL in northern Iraq, he said US military operations have been "effective," but "there are going to be many challenges ahead." "Today, with our support, Iraqi and Kurdish forces took a major step forward by recapturing the largest dam in Iraq near the city of Mosul. "Iraqi and Kurdish forces took the lead on the ground and performed with courage and determination. So this operation demonstrates [they] are capable of working together and taking the fight to ISIL," said Obama.
He added the US "will continue to pursue a long-term strategy to turn the tide against ISIL by supporting the new Iraqi government and working with key partners in the region and beyond," and stressed that the country's Prime Minister-designate, Haydar Al-Abadi, "needs to complete the work of forming a new, broad-based, inclusive Iraqi government, one that develops a national program to address the interests of all Iraqis." Obama warned that without unity, "extremists like ISIL can continue to prey upon Iraq's divisions." "Even as we've worked to help many thousands of Yezidis escape the siege of Mount Sinjar, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been displaced by ISIL's violence, and many more are still at risk," said Obama, adding: "ISIL poses a threat to all Iraqis and to the entire region." Obama affirmed: "There should be no doubt that the United States military will continue to carry out the limited missions that I've authorized: protecting our personnel and facilities in Iraq in both Irbil and Baghdad; and providing humanitarian support as we did on Mount Sinjar." In a related development, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf categorically denied in her daily press briefing, the suggestion that the US and Syria are on the same side as both of them are fighting the ISIL. The president returned to the White House from his vacation home in Massachusetts late Sunday in order to address the military operations in Iraq, but is expected to rejoin his family in Martha's Vineyard on Tuesday.
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