Secretary of State Kerry said there is “no military solution” to the crisis in Iraq, and urged all countries in the region to expel the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham. Kerry also called on the Kurds to support Iraqi unity. US military officials said about half of the US “assessment” troops promised for Iraq have arrived, and that American forces have been conducting 30 to 35 intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance flights per day in Iraq with manned aircraft and drones. The Pentagon denied rumors that US drones struck in Iraq. A federal appeals court yesterday released a 2010 Justice Department memo authorizing the killing of US citizen and al Qaeda ideologue Anwar al Awlaki in Yemen. Officials have indicated that the US’ hands-off policy toward Libya is not likely to change.
