President Obama said the US military intervention against the Islamic State in Iraq will not be over in “weeks” as it is a “long-term project.” He said that once an inclusive Iraqi government is formed, the US military, in conjunction with Iraqi and Kurdish fighters, will be able to “engage in some offense,” not just play defense. He also said the US Embassy and Consulate in Iraq would not be closed, but again ruled out sending in US ground troops. Senator McCain called yesterday’s two strikes “pinpricks” and “meaningless”; Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein warned of the Islamic State threat that “it takes an army to defeat an army.”
