White House: Military Action In Iraq To Be ‘Very Limited In Scope’

White House press secretary Josh Earnest speaks to reporters during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014. Earnest opened his briefing by taking a question on the shooting in... White House press secretary Josh Earnest speaks to reporters during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2014. Earnest opened his briefing by taking a question on the shooting in Afghanistan which killed a two-star American general and wounded appoximately 15 people including German brigadier general. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) MORE LESS
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White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest emphasized Friday that the military mission in Iraq authorized by President Obama Thursday night would be limited in scope.

“The authorization that the president has given for military action is very limited in scope,” Earnest said in a press briefing at the White House.

Earnest went on to outline three situations in which the Obama administration would use military force in Iraq: to protect U.S. personnel in the country, to aid tens of thousands of religious minorities that are hemmed in by Islamic militants in Northern Iraq, and to support the Iraqi government in repelling the militants, who belong to the Islamic State group.

Two U.S. fighter jets dropped bombs Friday on Islamic militants towing a piece of artillery near Irbil, where American troops were stationed.

Earnest said he had no updates to share about further military action in Iraq.

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  1. Oh Jeezus in a Juicemaster. I can already hear the tree house and Birkenstock lefties, lecturing us about how Both Parties Are The Same, and we need to Vote Our Conscience, and if ALL the People just smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now, Bernie can win, blahdy-blahdy-blah.

    Save it. I’m more socialist than you lot will ever be. But I understand reality.

  2. Avatar for Libs Libs says:

    Have the feeling that by the end of his term, Obama will have a few K American troops back into Iraq, leaving behind an unpredictable situation very reminiscent of Kennedy’s “limited in scope” situation in Vietnam.

  3. Have the feeling that Conservatives have them a penchant for wishful thinking.

  4. Avatar for grawk grawk says:

    Well if it’s that ‘limited’ then why bother? Unless what we hear about is just cover for a covert COIN ground game. I’m not saying this is the case, just what difference does one artillery piece make?

  5. Avatar for meta meta says:

    The neocons are out working overtime. This opens up a whole new realm of blather. You can hear the excitement in their voices talking about unscrambling the eggs and such.

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