Expanding the air strikes he was against.
Via CNS News
“[W]e don’t restrict potential U.S. action to a specific geographic space,” a “senior administration official” told reporters on Thursday, shortly after President Obama announced he is sending up to 300 American military advisers to Iraq.
“The president’s made clear time and again that we will take action as necessary, including direct U.S. military action if it’s necessary, to defend the United States against an imminent threat,” the official, speaking on background, told a conference call.
“You know, clearly we’re focused on Iraq. That’s where our ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) resources have surged. That’s where we’re working to develop additional intelligence.
“But the group ISIL, again, operates broadly, and we would not restrict our ability to take action that is necessary to protect the United States. Again, we take action in this region — in Yemen against AQAP; in Somalia against al-Shabab. Recently we took a direct action in capturing Abu Khattala in Libya.
“So, again, we’re going to do what’s necessary. Clearly we’re focused on Iraq in terms of these additional resources, but we’ll continue to focus on the evolving threat of ISIL as we consider different options.”
The briefers told reporters that U.S. “targeted” air strikes remain a “possibility…once we have better information.”