IRAQ: US Action A Step Closer to Reality as Immunity Agreement Secured

As a precondition for US involvement in the region, Iraq has reportedly given assurances to President Obama that the United States military will be protected from being prosecuted in Iraqi courts, U.S. officials stated Monday.

“The commander in chief would not make a decision to put our men and women in harm’s way without getting some necessary assurances,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

The agreement is not on par with a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). However, Obama administration officials said it is willing to take the Iraqi government’s word that US troops will be protected from criminal prosecution.

“With this agreement, we will be able to start establishing the first few assessment teams,” said Rear Admiral John Kirby.

“Our troops will have the legal protections they need to perform their mission. They would, were something to arise, face due process for violations under the Uniform Code of Military Justice” said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf.

The President reiterated Monday that the US is continuing to gather intelligence in the region for the hope of obtaining a clearer picture of the overall conflict. Once the intelligence is fully ascertained, the United States can then seemingly act upon its knowledge and utilize its military apparatus more effectively.

President Obama said in a Press conference Monday that “There’s no amount of American firepower that’s gonna be able to hold the country together, and I’ve made that clear to [Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki] and all the other leadership inside of Iraq.”

Iraq may have found more air weaponry through Iranian support. Over the weekend, it was reported that the Iraqi military had run out of Hellfire missiles.

Unconfirmed reports state that Iran transferred 88 Russian Sukhoi fighter jets to Iraq Monday, as the planes arrived at the Imam Ali military base in Nasiriyah. The source indicated, these aircraft will be equipped with sophisticated weapons; they will take part in the fighting against the terrorist elements of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIS).”