The Obama administration is considering the formal request from the Iraqi government for air strikes against the militants ISIS (the Islamic state of Iraq and Syria or ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant).
The White House issued a paper statement following a much-anticipated meeting between the President and Congressional leaders, again repeating that options were being considered.
Our Washington correspondent Priscilla Huff reports:
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The Obama administration has made this much of a decision.
American ground forces will not be returning to Iraq.
But in a Senate hearing on the Pentagon budget
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of State General Martin Dempsey
confirmed that Washington is considering a formal request from the Iraqi government for airstrikes.
TAKE CLIP
Top lawmakers, such as former Republican presidential candidate U-S Senator John McCain say that a decision needs to be made now.
TAKE CLIP
U.S. President Barack Obama hosted Congressional leaders to update them on the Iraq situation.
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner entered the meeting wanting to know what the White House plans to do.
TAKE CLIP
After the meeting, the leaders left the White House grounds saying nothing...
and the Obama administration issued a paper statement, saying that after options were reviewed consultations would continue.
With Iraq's President Nouri Al-Maliki urging his fellow Shia' to take up arms against the Sunni militants of Isis, the white house continues to push back, urging political unity.
spokesman jay carney
TAKE CLIP
And yet the lack of decision by the White House on what to do as the ISIS militants inch closer to Baghdad has many frustrated.
Senator John McCain.
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And even as Senator McCain points out that airpower has a significant psychological effect on soldiers on the ground,
the U.S. military counters that airstrikes could backfire...with significant civilian casualties being just one problem...and the political implications of backing a Shi'a government against the Sunni militants .
Priscilla Huff
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