Kurdish forces with the help of US airpower, rescued the thousands trapped by ISIS, today. Obama announces a long term air involvement in Iraq. We could not agree with this decision more. And thank God for the rescue.

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Monday Update:  Now we know the extent of the lie I have report several days ago.  Almost no one in the mountains near Mosul have been or will be saved.  The media is still reporting "40,000" as the number of Yazidi's trapped in those hills.  Today,  an American reporter riding a "rescue copter,"  is reporting that "up to 70% of these people" are already dead;  that few were benefitted with aid drops because much of the food and water supplies were dropped from 15,000 without chutes.  

Sunday afternoon update:  turns out I should have waited the 24 hours I normally wait before reviewing a news story.  Some of the refugees trapped in the mountains near Mosul have been rescued.  But thousands remain on the mountain.  ISIS's advancement has apparently been stopped,  for the moment and the American forces in Erbal,  the Kurdistan capital in Northern Iraq are secure,  but the air attacks are specific to specific military vehicles and are not designed to vanquish ISIS from the region.  There is no end date to this bombing strategy;  in fact,  there is no strategy,  only "opportunity bombing runs."  Obama is demanding an inclusive Iraqi government be put in place,  but has no answer when asked,  "Do we have enough time to wait for that circumstance in view of ISIS's determined advancement and the presence of our soldiers in harms way? "  I say again,  "The Administration has no answer to this question."  Very disappointing update.  We are doing something,  at least,  but whether it is enough or just a ploy to satisfy political criticisms,  is yet to be seen.  Too bad we have to wait to see if Obama means business.  I do know that he has expressed his desire to wage war in which there are "no victors, and, no vanquish."  

To be honest about this,  I really hate to give Obama credit for anything,  and,  to date,  I have not been challenged in this.  But today,  the news in Iraq,  as it has been given to us,  is as good as it gets.  The rescue is very good news.  Obviously,  someone has convinced Obama that he needs to do what he can to save Iraq,  and it appears that he is willing to cooperate.  

Most other conservative pundits will add their criticism to this good news.  Not me.  This does not begin to redeem his presidency,  but it is certainly great news,  in the short term,  and I,  for one, applaud this decision.   Plenty of time for context and discussion.  

'Nough said.  

Update: How was this decision made?  Well, the decision making process began on Wednesday and extended into significant meeting times on Thursday,  the 7th.  Here is a brief review of that process from Bloomberg.com:  

President Barack Obama’s decision to approve airstrikes and humanitarian air drops in Iraq began to come together at nightfall on Aug. 6, between the end of the African leaders’ summit he’d hosted and a dinner with his wife and some friends.  

During a five-minute limo ride back to the White House from the State Department with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey, Obama’s fears were confirmed. The offensive by militants with the Islamic State group had reached a critical point, according to an administration official who asked for anonymity to outline the private discussions.

That chat turned into an hour-long meeting in the Oval Office with Dempsey, Obama chief of staff Denis McDonough and top national security advisers.

Two White House Situation Room deliberations followed on Aug. 7 -- a 90-minute session during which Obama was told that a genocide could unfold without U.S. intervention and later, after the president broke off to sign a Veterans Affairs bill, a final two-hour huddle in the afternoon.

“America is coming to help,” he announced in natioannly televised comments that night. U.S. food and water drops were conducted and then U.S. jets and drones yesterday carried out three bombing missions in northern Iraq, hitting militant offensive positions and a convoy.

Update #2:  Just two weeks ago,  Obama joined other democrats in asking for the complete repeal of the Wars Authorization Act for Iraq.  Apparently,  he has changed his mind on this:  

As reported in the Washington Free Beacon:

BY: Adam Kredo
July 25, 2014 3:43 pm/  Washington Free Beacon 

The Obama administration is calling on Congress to fully repeal the war authorization in Iraq to ensure that no U.S. troops return to the country, which is under siege by the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS).

White House national security adviser Susan Rice petitioned Speaker of the House John Boehner (R., Ohio) in a letter Friday to completely repeal the war authorization, officially known as the Authorization for Use of Military Force in Iraq, or AUMF.