President Obama Approves Airstrikes in Iraq

Barack Obama says militants who threaten US personnel will be targeted, as planes drop food and water to persecuted Iraqis.

新闻背景：

美国总统奥巴马说，他已授权对伊拉克北部的伊斯兰极端武装ISIS目标实施定点空袭，前提是该武装对美国利益构成威胁。称美国之所以采取行动是为了防止发生针对少数族群的种族屠杀事件。表示，美国不能也不应该在世界上出现危机时就出手干预。但美国可以“谨慎和负责地”采取行动，阻止种族屠杀事件的发生。

美国已对受到伊斯兰极端武装ISIS威胁的伊拉克地区提供人道援助的空投。在伊斯兰极端武装ISIS占领了伊拉克基督教社区最大的城镇克拉克斯后，当地大多数伊拉克基督教徒已逃离家园。

美国官员说，美国向位于辛贾尔山外的少数族裔雅兹迪教派社区进行了空投。不少雅兹迪族人离开了家园，一些人在附近的山上躲避。

联合国秘书长潘基文说，他对目前的局势“深感震惊”。与此同时，美国警告说，伊拉克境内的少数民族境况正变成“人道灾难”。

Today I authorized 2 operations in Iraq, targeted airstrikes to protect our American personnel and a humanitarian effort to help save thousands of Iraqi civilians who are trapped on a mountain without food, and water and facing almost certain death. Let me explain the actions we are taking and why.

First, I said in June as the terrorist group ISIL began an advance across Iraq that the United States would be prepared to take targeted military action in Iraq if and when we determined that the situation required them. In recent days, these terrorists have continued to move across Iraq, and neared the city of Erbil where American diplomats and civilians serve at our consulate and American military personnel advise Iraqi forces. To stop the advance on Erbil, I’ve directed our military to take targeted strikes against ISIL terrorist convoys should they move toward the city. We intend to stay vigilant and take action if these terrorist forces threaten our personnel or facilities anywhere in Iraq, including our consulate in Erbil and our embassy in Bagdad. We are also providing urgent assistance to Iraqi government and Kurdish forces, so they can more effectively wage the fight against ISIL.

Second, at the request of the Iraqi government, we began operations to help save Iraqi civilians stranded on the mountain. As ISIL has marched across Iraq as it waged a ruthless campaign against innocent Iraqis. And these terrorists have been especially barbaric towards religious minorities, including Christian and Yezidis, a small and ancient religious sect. Countless Iraqis have been displaced and chilling reports describe ISIL militants rounding up families, conducting mass executions and enslaving Yezidi women. In recent days, Yezidi women men, and children from the area of Singar have fled for their lives. And thousands, perhaps tens of thousands are now hiding high up on the mountain, with little but the clothes on their backs. They are without food, they are without water. People are starving, and children are dying of thirst. Meanwhile ISIL forces below have called for the systematic destruction of the entire Yezidi people which would constitute genocide. So these innocent families are faced with a horrible choice. Descend the mountain and be slaughtered or stay and slowly die of thirst and hunger.

Now I have said before, the United States cannot and should not intervene every time there’s a crisis in the world. So let me be clear about why we must act and act now. When we face a situation as we do on that mountain with innocent people facing the prospect of violence on a horrific scale, when we have a mandate to help, in this case a request from the Iraqi government, and when we have the unique capabilities to help avert a massacre, then I believe the United States of America cannot turn a blind eye. We can act, carefully and responsibly to prevent a potential act of genocide. That’s what we are doing on that mountain. I therefore authorized targeted airstrikes if necessary to help forces in Iraq, as it fights to break the siege of Mt. Sinjar and protect the civilians trapped there. Already American aircrafts have begun conducting humanitarian airdrops of food and water to help these desperate men women and children survive. Earlier this week, one Iraqi in the area cried to the world, there’s no one coming to help. Well, today America is coming to help. We’re also consulting with other countries, and the United Nations, we have called for action to address the humanitarian crisis. I know that many of you are rightly concerned about any American military action in Iraq, even limited strikes like these. I understand that. I run for this office in part to end our war in Iraq and welcome our troops home, and that’s what we have done. As commander in chief, I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq. And so even as we support Iraqis as they take the fight to these terrorists. American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq.