Middle East

US forces land in Iraq to plan Yazidi escape

Obama administration forced to defend itself against accusations of mission creep

A displaced family from the minority Yazidi sect, fleeing the violence in the Iraqi town of Sinjar, mourns the death of a family member at the Iraqi-Syrian border crossing in Fishkhabour, Dohuk province, Iraq. Photograph: Youssef Boudlal/Reuters

Thu Aug 14 2014 - 01:00

More than 100 US marines and special forces landed on Mount Sinjar in Iraq yesterday to organise an escape route for 30,000 Yazidi civilians threatened by Islamic extremists as well as starvation.

They joined a small number of US special forces soldiers who have been on the mountain for some days, assessing the military and humanitarian situation and guiding US air strikes against Islamic State fighters encircling the mountain, as well as a handful of British SAS soldiers in the area.

In Washington, the Obama administration was forced to defend itself against accusations of mission creep after admitting that one of the main options under consideration is a direct role for US forces in creating a “humanitarian corridor“ for the evacuation.

“[The president] is open to recommendations in which the United States is helping to facilitate the removal of these people from the mountain,“ said a National Security Council spokesman, Ben Rhodes.

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Pressed on whether this would contradict Mr Obama’s promise to avoid a combat role for US ground troops if the evacuation mission came under attack, Mr Rhodes added: “There are dangers involved in any military operation . . . but [the president] is confident that we can have a limited military objective.“

Food and water

The US, UK and Kurds have been conducting airdrops of food and water for the besieged civilians, mostly ethnic Kurds of the Yazidi faith who fled to the mountain 12 days ago to escape annihilation by fighters from the Islamic State – formerly known as Isis – who see them as non-believers.

Efforts to halt the advance of the Sunni jihadists, who have taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria, have been hampered by an ongoing political stalemate in Baghdad over the formation of a new government.

An ever more isolated Nuri al-Maliki again resisted his removal as Iraqi prime minister yesterday as Iran, his former sponsor, publicly endorsed a successor who many in Baghdad hope can halt the advance of the Islamic State. – (Guardian service)

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