President Barack Obama said today that he's considering a range of options to help the Iraqi government defend itself.
He said that includes military options, but not ground troops. He made it clear that U-S help is contingent on Iraqi leaders addressing some of their long-standing political problems.
"We're not going to allow ourselves to be dragged back into a situation in which, while we're there we're keeping a lid on things, and after enormous sacrifices by us, as soon as we're not there, suddenly people start acting in ways that are not conducive to the long-term stability and prosperity of the country," he said.
The president's words today echoed a feeling that many American war veterans have been voicing lately as parts of Iraq that US troops once fought and died to defend have fallen to insurgents.