White House: US taking fight to ISIS with new airstrikes

A new round of airstrikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants fighting outside of Baghdad is evidence of the White House’s commitment to “take this fight to [ISIS],” counterterrorism czar Lisa Monaco said Tuesday.

U.S. Central Command announced late Monday that it had conducted a airstrikes against ISIS fighters southwest of the Iraqi capital in what appeared to be the first use of expanded air power since President Obama announced last week he’d be escalating the U.S. military campaign against the terror group.

Previously, the U.S. had limited airstrikes to areas where either U.S. personnel were at risk, or officials believed they could help prevent a humanitarian crisis. But last Wednesday, the president announced that he had authorized the Pentagon to go on offense, and the strikes Sunday and Monday were in support of Iraq’s military as they fought ISIS forces.

{mosads}According to CENTCOM, Iraqi forces requested the airstrikes after coming under fire from a band of ISIS militants. American planes destroyed six of the terror group’s vehicles and one of the group’s fighting positions.

“We will do what is necessary to protect our personnel and to support the Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces and I think that’s what you’re seeing now to some very good effect,” Monaco said in an interview on CNN. “To push back [ISIS], to take the fight to them, and to make sure they don’t have a safe haven.”

On Tuesday, the president is scheduled to meet with retired Marine Gen. John Allen and Secretary of State John Kerry, who are leading the diplomatic effort to assemble a coalition to fight ISIS.

Later in the day he’ll travel to Tampa, where on Wednesday the president is slated to meet with military leaders at CENTCOM to discuss their efforts in the region.