Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby is denying press reports that the United States has conducted airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq, calling them “completely false.”
The New York Times, however, claims that two sites in northern Iraq have been bombed.
Wow. "American forces said to bomb ISIS targets in Iraq" reports @Alissanyt
— jack healy (@jackhealyNYT) August 7, 2014
NYT: "American military forces bombed at least two targets in northern Iraq…" Obama "preparing to make a statement" http://t.co/eKKkNkoplz
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 7, 2014
American military forces bombed at least two targets in northern Iraq on Thursday night to rout Islamist insurgents who have trapped tens of thousands of religious minorities in Kurdish areas, Kurdish officials said.
Word of the bombings, reported on Kurdish television from the city of Erbil, came as President Obama was preparing to make a statement in Washington.
Kurdish officials said the bombings targeted fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria who had seized two towns, Gwer and Mahmour. Residents who had fled those areas by car were heard honking their horns in approval.
Some were disappointed to hear the Pentagon’s denial.
.@PentagonPresSec Why not?!?
— John Goodie (@JohnG00die) August 7, 2014
https://twitter.com/yadlyeled/status/497489048060301312
@PentagonPresSec why don't you intervene to stop these crimes against humanity? This is shameful!
— Peyman Golshani (@pgolshani) August 7, 2014
https://twitter.com/RussCroteau/status/497490633808818176
Maybe it's not an airstrike; maybe we're just dropping really heavy, explosive humanitarian aid and it drifted towards ISIS.
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) August 7, 2014
So who in admin floated that to the NY Times as a public poll test?
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 7, 2014
"Just leak to the Times that we did bomb before we do so we can gage if our base is pissed at us.. Election year and all."
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 7, 2014
"Sir only 7 likes on Facebook for the false times story.. Better hold off."
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) August 7, 2014
@redsteeze OUT: shock & awe
IN: confusion & trending— Nino (@baldingschemer) August 7, 2014
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.
