Obama: 'I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq'

Obama: 'I will not allow the United States to be dragged into fighting another war in Iraq'
(Image credit: Ron Sachs-Pool/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama used his weekly Saturday address this morning to talk about his rationale for authorizing airstrikes on ISIS targets in Iraq — the first of which the United States carried out on Friday.

"I directed our military to take action to protect our American diplomats and military advisors serving in the city of Erbil," Obama says in the video. "In recent days, terrorist forces neared the city. I made it clear that if they attempted to advance further, our military would respond with targeted strikes. That's what we've done. And, if necessary, that's what we will continue to do."

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Sarah Eberspacher

Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.