Obama: Iraq Must Have Legitimate Government To Combat Insurgency

[Swilly]

[URL="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/08/09/339111451/obama-iraq-must-have-legitimate-government-to-combat-insurgency"]NPR Link[/URL]

[quote=NPR]Speaking to reporters in the South Lawn of the White House, he also acknowledged that U.S. intelligence had underestimated the speed with which Islamic State militants have advanced on the ground.

"In the absence of an Iraqi government, it is very difficult to get a unified effort by Iraqis against ISIL," the president said, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant, also known as ISIS or IS.

"The nature of this problem is not one that a U.S. military can solve," he said. "We can assist ... but we can't do it for them," adding that the situation was "a long-term project."

He added: "We're not moving our embassy any time soon. We're not moving our consulate anytime soon."

Referring to ethnic Yazidis trapped on Sinjar mountain in the country's northwest, where the U.S. has airdropped food and water, Obama said the they needed a safe corridor or some other mechanism to allow them to escape. He said "many people are up there, but they're in the thousands, and moving them is not simple."

He said he'd spoken to British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande and that the two leaders had offered their support in ending civilian suffering in Iraq.

Obama declined to offer a timetable for the U.S. operation, but said that for now he did not see needing to ask Congress for additional funding.[/quote]

[dilzinyomouth]

we tried that already bazza