"Four years ago I promised to end the war in Iraq. We did. 
I promised to refocus on the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11. We have.
We've blunted the Taliban's momentum in Afghanistan.
And in 2014, our longest war will be over.
A new tower arises above the New York skyline.
Al Qaeda is on the path to defeat.
And Osama bin Laden is dead"    ~  Barack Obama

Democratic National Convention
September 26, 2012

Iraq crisis: Barack Obama orders 'Hellfire missile' drones into Iraq skies

US steps up its military involvement in Middle East as Predator drone strikes take to Iraq skies amid Isis jihadists offensive

PHOTO: An MQ-1 Predator carrying Hellfire missiles ALAMY

By Richard Spencer, Erbil
4:17PM BST 27 Jun 2014

President Barack Obama has ordered Predator drones armed with Hellfire missiles into the skies above Iraq as he steps up his military involvement in the Middle East.

The first Predator flights took off on Thursday, Pentagon officials told US media. It is not clear whether their remote pilots have orders to fire on the jihadists of Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham who control most Sunni areas of the country, though officials said they were intended to defend US interests like the embassy.

But drone strikes have been Mr Obama’s weapon of choice in America’s long war with jihadism as he seeks to avoid direct on-the-ground military intervention, and they have been deployed widely already against al-Qaeda and other groups in Pakistan and Yemen.

The confirmation that armed aircraft, based in Kuwait, have been added to the reconnaissance flights, both manned and unmanned, already flying over Iraq alongside drones from America’s once bitter regional rival Iran suggests Mr Obama is being drawn however unwillingly into military support for the government of Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister.

The United States has also set up two joint operations centres for 300 troops that are being sent under a two-star general to the country to provide advice as well as security for the US embassy. The move means US and Iranian troops are both working on the same side in Baghdad.