Iraq–United States relations

Insurgents of Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (ISIL) - which calls itself Islamic State - posted a video on Aug. 19 purportedly showing the beheading of U.S. journalist James Foley and images of another U.S. journalist whose life they said depended on how the United States acts in Iraq.

The Islamic State militant group that has seized large parts of Iraq and drawn the first American air strikes since the end of the occupation in 2011 has warned the United States it will attack Americans "in any place" if the raids hit its militants.

Iraqi Kurdish fighters backed by U.S. warplanes have retaken the country's largest dam from jihadists, Kurdish officials said, as the United States and Britain step up their military involvement.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Aug. 11 Iraq had taken "a promising step forward" in designating a new prime minister, vowing to step up support for a new Iraqi government in a widening conflict that his administration had hoped to avoid.

Senior U.S. officials say the Obama administration has begun directly providing weapons to Kurdish forces who have started to make gains against Islamic militants in Iraq.
     

US President Barack Obama on August 9 vowed to continue air strikes against Iraqi jihadists if needed to protect US diplomats and military advisors.
 
Speaking in his weekly address, Obama said that he had authorized the strikes in Iraq to protect US personnel serving in the northern city of Arbil. "And, if necessary, that’s what we will continue to do," he said.
 

Through co-operation, Balkan countries protect citizens in Iraq

Officials are assisting thousands of people from the Balkans who work in Iraq.

Balkan countries are co-operating to assist their citizens who work in Iraq and to address extremist terror threats coming from that country, experts said.

The wanted deputy of executed dictator Saddam Hussein praised the Islamic State jihadists who took over large swathes of the country last month as "heroes" in an unauthenticated audio message released on July 13.

On July 9, CNN spread the news that the U.S. is planning to attack the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, with drones. The American press has also created the impression in the last few days that Washington might conduct an airstrike soon.

The United States is ramping up its military presence in Iraq, deploying around 300 additional troops as well as helicopters and drone aircraft in response security concerns in Baghdad, officials said on June 30.