President Obama announced Thursday night plans for aid and U.S. airstrikes in Iraq, in response to increasing militant violence and a growing humanitarian situation in the country.
“There is no decision I take more seriously than the use of military force. Over the last several years we have brought the vast majority of our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan, and I have been careful to resist calls to turn time and again to our military, because America has other tools in our arsenal than our military. We can also lead with the power of our diplomacy, our economy and our ideals. But when the lives of American citizens are at risk, we will take action. That’s my responsibility as commander in chief. And when many thousands of innocent civilians are faced with the danger of being wiped out, and we have the capacity to do something about it, we will take action. That is our responsibility as Americans. It’s a hallmark of American leadership. That’s who we are. So tonight we give thanks to our men and women in uniform, especially our brave pilots and crews over Iraq, who are protecting our fellow Americans and saving the lives of so many men, women and children that they will never meet. They represent American leadership at its best. As a nation we should be proud of them, and of our country’s enduring commitment to uphold our own security and the dignity of our fellow human beings. God bless our armed forces, and God bless the United States of America.”
