MOSCOW, August 8 (RIA Novosti) – US Vice President Joe Biden has relayed President Barack Obama’s offer of help to Massoud Barzani, the leader of Iraqi Kurds, who are fighting against the onslaught of Islamic State (IS) insurgents, according to the White House.
“Vice President Biden relayed President Obama's offer of humanitarian assistance for the Yazidis and reaffirmed his commitment to take whatever actions necessary to protect Americans in Arbil, including targeted airstrikes," the White House said following Biden’s telephone conversation with Barzani.
The Yazidis are an ethno-religious minority group from Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region who, Obama said, are facing “genocide” at the hands of the Sunni militants. Heavy fighting is reported around the city of Arbil, the capital of Kurdistan.
Phone talks also touched on the IS siege of Arbil and the dire emergency situation facing Yazidi refugees in northern Iraq.
On Thursday night, President Obama gave the green light to targeted airstrikes against IS fighters, vowing the United States would act “responsibly” to prevent what he called “a potential act of genocide.”
US aircraft, meanwhile, began humanitarian aid drops to besieged religious minorities in Iraq. The aid includes food and water “to help these desperate men, women and children survive.”
At the same time, Barack Obama stressed that the US would not be dragged into another war in Iraq.
