Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Thursday that humanitarian aid drops and missile strikes against a militant group in Iraq are actually working.
“Overnight, the news has been much, much better coming out of Iraq,” she said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
A group of Marines and special operators found the humanitarian situation of thousands of Iraqis trapped on a mountain by militant Islamic State fighters to be “much more manageable,” The New York Times reported Wednesday night. The situation has improved so much that the U.S. is now unlikely to conduct a rescue mission for those cornered on the mountain.
However, Ms. James said the Air Force will continue to fight to ensure the terrorists do not return and try to retake areas and towns that they previously controlled.
“The president has said this is not likely to be a short-term operation, and there is no deadline so we are there,” she said.
• Jacqueline Klimas can be reached at jklimas@washingtontimes.com.
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