U.S. President Barack Obama makes a statement about the humanitarian relief situation in Iraq at the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, August 7, 2014. REUTERS/Larry Downing
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday he has authorized air strikes against Islamist militants in Iraq to protect American personnel and launched humanitarian assistance to prevent a genocide of members of a religious minority who have fled their homes.
The president, in remarks carried live over network television, said he has begun operations to assist Iraqis stranded on a mountain to escape the advancing forces of the Islamist State, which have swept across northern Iraq in recent weeks.
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