Obama Pushes Iraq for Reforms, But Prepares Air Strikes

Over the weekend President Obama has suggested his military options in Iraq are predicated on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki agreeing to a series of US mandated reforms aimed at easing sectarian tensions.

The reports from earlier this weekend suggest the sudden demands came after the US decided Baghdad was not in any immediate danger of falling to ISIS fighters who have taken most of western Iraq.

At the same time, reports out of the Sunday Times say the British SAS are already sending forces to Iraq to prepare for possible US and British air strikes against Iraq, suggesting that the decision may already be made.

Many Congressmen have been calling for the US to start launching air strikes soon, to at least be doing something in Iraq, though experts have suggested the strikes will have little to no impact on the situation on the ground, since Iraqi troops have been so decisively routed by the ISIS advance.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.