US President Barack Obama Authorize ‘targeted’ strikes, humanitarian mission in Iraq Thursday Aug 07,2014

US President Barack Obama has authorised “targeted airstrikes” against Islamic militants to protect American military personnel and airdrops of meals and water to thousands of religious minorities trapped on a mountaintop in northwest Iraq.

The United States has its MQ-9 'Reaper' drones that can deliver Hellfire missiles more than 1,100 miles away, or drop 500-pound bombs itself

The USS George HW Bush was the base from which the jets flew, carrying their 500lbs laser-guided bombs

The flight deck of the George H. W. Bush aircraft carrier

In a late night televised address, Obama on Thursday Aug 07,2014 said the US “cannot turn a blind eye” when it has the capability to prevent genocide of Iraqi minorities stranded on mountain.

US President Barack Obama said he has authorised US military to conduct air strikes against Islamic State militants if they advance further toward the city of Erbil, the capital of Kurdish region of Iraq

In a speech that lasted for nine minutes, Obama explained the reasons for his decision, but reiterated that there would be no American troops on the ground

Thousands of families from the Yazidi minority community are reportedly trapped in the mountains without food and water after fleeing the rampaging fighters of the Islamic State, also known as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS.

Throngs of refugees, many of them Iraqi Christians, are also on the run after their largest city, Qaraqosh, was occupied by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS.

The strike on ISIS today Friday Aug 08,2014 came after U.S. forces spent the last two months moving ships, jets and troops within striking distance.

After President Obama gave the go ahead last night, two F/A18 fighters flew off from an American 'supercarrier' in the Persian Gulf to fire 500lb laser-guided bombs on a group of Islamic militants outside Kurdish capital Erbil.
The jets were on the USS George H.W. Bush, which was ordered to travel 1,000 miles from the Arabian Sea to the Persian Gulf seven weeks ago.