US air strikes in Iraq an option, says Kerry
Speaking in an interview with Yahoo! News, Kerry said that air strikes were “not the whole answer, but they may well be one of the options that are important."
“When you have people murdering, assassinating in these mass massacres, you have to stop that. And you do what you need to do if you need to try to stop it from the air or otherwise,” he said.
Kerry said the United States was “deeply committed to the integrity of Iraq as a country. It is vital, ultimately, to the stability of the region as a whole.”
He also said the US was willing to talk with Iran to help Iraq’s Shiite-led government fend off ISIS’ advances.
“We’re open to discussions if there is something constructive that can be contributed by Iran, if Iran is prepared to do something that is going to respect the integrity and sovereignty of Iraq,” Kerry said.
Militant advances
In the last week, militants have taken Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, as well as Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit in a lightening offensive that has plunged Iraq into its worst crisis since the 2011 withdrawal of US troops.
Over the weekend, militants from ISIS posted graphic photos that appeared to show their gunmen massacring scores of captured Iraqi soldiers.
The secretary of state also urged the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is Shiite, to be more inclusive to various sectarian groups but stopped short of calling for his resignation, saying that was up to the people of Iraq.
“I don’t think the United States should be issuing instructions or orders. I don’t think any country should,” he said. “We are adamant that Prime Minister Maliki and his government must do a better job of reaching out to all the representative entities in Iraq and bring them to the table. That has not happened sufficiently”.
Kerry added that he did not think that ISIS was capable of seizing control of the capital Baghdad, where the US has increased security at its embassy.
“But that remains to be determined by the decisions that are made in the course of next few days,” by the United States, Maliki’s government and others, he added. “I’m absolutely convinced we have the security we need for our embassy”.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS)
