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Iraq crisis: No quick fix, Barack Obama warns | |
(35 minutes later) | |
US President Barack Obama has warned it is "going to take some time" to help Iraqis overcome the jihadist-led Sunni rebellion and stabilise their country. | |
It would be a "long-term project" to revamp and resupply the military and build support among Sunnis, he said. | |
Mr Obama stressed that progress would depend on Iraqis coming together and forming an inclusive government. | |
The Islamic State (IS), formerly known as Isis, has seized swathes of northern and western Iraq in recent months. | |
Mr Obama said air strikes on Friday - the first time US forces have been directly involved in a military operation in Iraq since they withdrew from the country in late 2011 - had destroyed IS arms and equipment. | |
They had also prevented attacks by the al-Qaeda breakaway on thousands of members of the Yazidi religious minority group stranded on a mountain in the north-west, the president added. | |
The Yazidis fled to Mount Sinjar a week ago after IS fighters overran a nearby town where many had been sheltering over the past two months. | |
Earlier, the UK said it had sent a cargo plane to help with the relief operation that has seen US aircraft drop thousands of bottles of water and ration packs in the area over the past two days. |