As Islamist militants swept through northern and western Iraq in early June in a lightning advance, President Barack Obama examined his options and announced that he would be prepared to "take targeted and precise military action." Nearly two months later, Obama, albeit reluctantly, on Thursday approved the use of airstrikes in Iraq. He said the step was taken to defend U.S. personnel in the city of Irbil and protect religious minorities facing what he called a "potential act of genocide" from the Islamic State, the extremist group most recently known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The escalation marks a turning point in the Obama administration's foreign policy, which has avoided direct military involvement in Iraq and Syria until now.
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By authorizing strikes, Obama's decision marks a turning point in Iraq foreign policy
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Obama's reluctant action comes after GOP criticism of his foreign policy on Iraq and Syria
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Obama said the U.S. was acting to protect Americans on the ground in Irbil
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But past failures, questions over a broader strategy loom as U.S. asserts power in Iraq
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