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Iraq evacuation of Yazidis on hold as US says situation has stabilised Iraq evacuation of Yazidis on hold as White House declares siege is over
(about 1 hour later)
The Obama administration has ruled out for now a risky US military mission to rescue thousands of Iraqis stranded on a northern Iraqi mountain that has been besieged by Islamic extremists. The Obama administration has ruled out for now a risky US military mission to rescue thousands of Iraqis stranded on a northern Iraqi mountain, declaring a siege by Islamist extremists to be over.
After a small complement of special forces and US aid workers landed on Mount Sinjar to assess the situation of the Iraqi Yazidis – who for days have received air drops of food, water and medicine – the Pentagon said things were not as bad as initially feared. “An evacuation mission is far less likely,” said Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, late on Wednesday.After a small complement of special forces and US aid workers landed on Mount Sinjar to assess the situation of the Iraqi Yazidis – who for days have received air drops of food, water and medicine – the Pentagon said things were not as bad as initially feared. “An evacuation mission is far less likely,” said Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, late on Wednesday.
US humanitarian aid drops would continue, Kirby said, but for now US planes or troops would not come to rescue the remaining Yazidis from the mountaintop terrain that has provided a harsh refuge.US humanitarian aid drops would continue, Kirby said, but for now US planes or troops would not come to rescue the remaining Yazidis from the mountaintop terrain that has provided a harsh refuge.
Kirby stopped short of declaring that the siege of Mount Sinjar was over after four different US air strikes on Isis positions since Saturday. US officials, when asked whether they consider the siege to be broken, would not use that language. The US has targeted Isis positions in the area with four air strikes since Saturday. The White House confidently declared the mission a success on Wednesday. “The president’s decisive decisions in the immediate wake of the crisis kept people alive and broke the siege of the mountain,” a White House official said.
Speculation swirled throughout Wednesday that an evacuation mission was in the offing. Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser, said President Barack Obama was “open to recommendations” from the military to facilitate the removal of people whom the US had warned for nearly a week were at risk of genocide. “If there are additional things we can do as part of an effort to move people off the mountain he will certainly review those options,” Rhodes said on Wednesday. Speculation swirled throughout Wednesday that an evacuation mission was in the offing. Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security adviser, said President Barack Obama was “open to recommendations” from the military to facilitate the removal of people whom the US had warned for nearly a week were at risk of genocide. “If there are additional things we can do as part of an effort to move people off the mountain he will certainly review those options,” Rhodes said.
But Kirby said in a statement that the team on Mount Sinjar found a situation less dire than the administration and international organizations initially thought when US warplanes returned to Iraq for the first time since 2011. The British prime minister, David Cameron, also on Wednesday confidently stated that the UK would take part in getting the Yazidis safely off the mountain. “I can confirm that detailed plans are now being put in place and are under way and that Britain will play a role in delivering them,” Cameron said.
But Kirby said in a statement that the team on Mount Sinjar found a situation less dire than the administration and international organizations initially thought when the US sent its warplanes back to Iraq for the first time since 2011.
“There are far fewer Yazidis on Mount Sinjar than previously feared,” Kirby said, crediting “the success of the humanitarian air drops, air strikes on [Isis] targets, the efforts of the Peshmerga [Kurdish guerillas] and the ability of thousands of Yazidis to evacuate from the mountain each night over the last several days”.“There are far fewer Yazidis on Mount Sinjar than previously feared,” Kirby said, crediting “the success of the humanitarian air drops, air strikes on [Isis] targets, the efforts of the Peshmerga [Kurdish guerillas] and the ability of thousands of Yazidis to evacuate from the mountain each night over the last several days”.
On Sunday thousands of Yazidis, aided by a Syrian Kurdish group, were said to have crossed into Iraqi Kurdistan, apparently by descending from the north slope of Mount Sinjar and traveling by land through Syria.On Sunday thousands of Yazidis, aided by a Syrian Kurdish group, were said to have crossed into Iraqi Kurdistan, apparently by descending from the north slope of Mount Sinjar and traveling by land through Syria.
US Central Command, responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and south Asia, would not provide any additional detail on Wednesday concerning the special forces’ assessment. It remains unclear how many Yazidis are still on the mountain, and international estimates vary. Some reports had earlier suggested that up to 30,00 people were still there.US Central Command, responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and south Asia, would not provide any additional detail on Wednesday concerning the special forces’ assessment. It remains unclear how many Yazidis are still on the mountain, and international estimates vary. Some reports had earlier suggested that up to 30,00 people were still there.
Kirby’s statement left unanswered who decided against the evacuation, attributing the decision to “the interagency”, a bureaucratic term for the various US government security agencies, rather than Obama, the defence secretary Chuck Hagel or army General Lloyd Austin, the Central Command chief.Kirby’s statement left unanswered who decided against the evacuation, attributing the decision to “the interagency”, a bureaucratic term for the various US government security agencies, rather than Obama, the defence secretary Chuck Hagel or army General Lloyd Austin, the Central Command chief.
Nor did he definitively rule out an evacuation at a later point.Nor did he definitively rule out an evacuation at a later point.
Asked if the administration thought the Isis siege was broken, a White House National Security Council spokeswoman, Bernadette Meehan, demurred: “The president authorised specific and limited actions in order to help the men, women, and children trapped on Mount Sinjar by [Isis]. We undertook airstrikes and provided humanitarian air drops of food and water in furtherance of our objectives. Despite the declarations of the US administration, the United Nations on Wednesday said it considered Iraq in general to be at the highest level of humanitarian crisis. Special representative Nickolay Mladenov said a level three emergency was in effect, triggering additional aid for Iraq.
“The assessment from the team that went up to Mount Sinjar is that these actions have been effective and that large numbers of Yezidis were able to safely depart the mountain thanks in large part to our efforts. That is how we are comfortable characterising it at the moment.”
The United Nations on Wednesday said it considered Iraq in general to be at the highest level of humanitarian crisis. Special representative Nickolay Mladenov said a level three emergency was in effect, triggering additional aid for Iraq.
Since Saturday the US has launched four rounds of airstrikes on Isis positions, checkpoints, vehicles and artillery in the vicinity of the mountain and the town of Sinjar at its foot. The most recent was a drone strike occurring at midday on Wednesday eastern time. All the strikes have come to the south, south-east and southwest of Mt. Sinjar, with the northern slope – apparently where the Yazidis’ descent has occurred – left unharassed.Since Saturday the US has launched four rounds of airstrikes on Isis positions, checkpoints, vehicles and artillery in the vicinity of the mountain and the town of Sinjar at its foot. The most recent was a drone strike occurring at midday on Wednesday eastern time. All the strikes have come to the south, south-east and southwest of Mt. Sinjar, with the northern slope – apparently where the Yazidis’ descent has occurred – left unharassed.
The logistical complexity of removing the Yazidis by air appears to be significant. While C-130 cargo planes can land on rugged terrain, the number of civilians atop the mountain would necessitate numerous runs. On Monday a senior US army officer, Lieutenant General William Mayville of the Joint Staff, said the military had yet to finish devising a plan for an evacuation.The logistical complexity of removing the Yazidis by air appears to be significant. While C-130 cargo planes can land on rugged terrain, the number of civilians atop the mountain would necessitate numerous runs. On Monday a senior US army officer, Lieutenant General William Mayville of the Joint Staff, said the military had yet to finish devising a plan for an evacuation.
On Saturday, addressing the siege in a radio address, Obama said: “Today America is helping,” he said.On Saturday, addressing the siege in a radio address, Obama said: “Today America is helping,” he said.
“When there’s a situation like the one on this mountain – when countless innocent people are facing a massacre, and when we have the ability to help prevent it – the United States can’t just look away. That’s not who we are. We’re Americans. We act. We lead. And that’s what we’re going to do on that mountain.”“When there’s a situation like the one on this mountain – when countless innocent people are facing a massacre, and when we have the ability to help prevent it – the United States can’t just look away. That’s not who we are. We’re Americans. We act. We lead. And that’s what we’re going to do on that mountain.”