Obama: USA ready for "targeted action" against Iraqi Islamists

American President Barack Obama said today that the United States is ready for "targeted and precise military action" against Islamists in Iraq.

However, he emphasized that "American forces will not return to Iraq to fight."

Obama said at the conference that up to 300 military advisers would be sent to Iraq to help the government there.

He also called on Iraqi leaders to pursue an "inclusive agenda," and the BBC notes that Shia Prime Minister Nudi al-Maliki has been accused of pursuing anti-Sunni policies.

"The United States will not conduct military action or support one sect within Iraq at the expense of another," the American leader emphasized.

Obama also said that Iran can play a constructive role in Iraq, but that it must not encourage steps that would lead to a civil war in Iraq.

The authorities regained control of the refinery

The Iraqi army took full control of the largest Iraqi refinery today after a clash with Sunni extremists, who tried to seize it, it was announced in Baghdad.

"Iraqi security forces are in full control of the refinery in Baiji, about 200 kilometers north of Baghdad," said government spokesman Kasem Ata without specifying whether there were any casualties in the conflict.

Workers at the refinery confirmed that information, saying that all the extremists had withdrawn from the oil complex.

Extremists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) set fire to several oil tanks yesterday before entering the refinery.

The refinery, which produces 600.000 barrels of oil per day, is located near Tikrit in Salaheddin province, which the Islamists captured more than a week ago.

In the last week, Sunni extremists have taken control of Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, a large part of the northern province of Nineveh, Tikrit and Kirkuk.

Volunteers will receive help from the state

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced today that the volunteers who fight against ISIL on the side of the government forces will be rewarded monthly with 750.000 Iraqi dinars (more than 470 euros), state television reported.

Volunteers who will not participate in the fighting will receive 500.000 dinars (330 euros), while all volunteers will receive 125.000 dinars (about 80 euros) per month for food, the announcement reads.

Riyadh: Iraq's ridiculous accusation

Saudi Arabia rejected Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's accusations that the Kingdom supports Sunni extremists who have taken key positions in the north.

"The Iraqi prime minister is accusing the Kingdom of being a sponsor of terrorism, which is a ridiculous accusation, given that Saudi Arabia has condemned terrorism, especially ISIL," Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal told reporters in Jeddah.

The Shiite Iraqi government persistently accuses its Sunni neighbors of supporting insurgents in western Iraq, Reuters reported.

"I think the country that has suffered a lot from terrorism, that has fought against terrorism and continues to fight, is precisely Saudi Arabia," Prince Saud added.

"Our advice to Iraqi officials is to fight terrorism by following the Kingdom's policy and not by accusing us of collaborating with terrorists. Thank God we have cleansed our country of that epidemic," Prince Saud added.

Earlier today, the head of Saudi diplomacy read a statement from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which confirmed that it remains united in the fight against sectarian policies.

On that occasion, Faisal accused Maliki of being behind the "deterioration of the situation in Iraq" and fomenting discord in his country.

Kerry to exchange data with Iran

The United States is considering the possibility of communicating with Iran to exchange information about the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

The head of American diplomacy, however, pointed out that this does not mean that Washington plans to work together with Iran to resolve the crisis.

"We are interested in communication with Iran, so that the Iranians know what we think, that we know what they think, so that the exchange of information is established, so that there is no confusion among the people," Kerry said.

Asked during an interview broadcast today on NBC News about the possibility of US airstrikes, Kerry said that everything was "on the table" and that all options were still available to President Barack Obama, Reuters reported.

Iraq has asked the US to launch airstrikes against the Sunni extremists, who have seized much of northern Iraq, but Washington has given no indication that it agrees.

Erdogan against intervention

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that US airstrikes against extremists in Iraq could lead to large civilian casualties and that the United States currently has no such plans.

"America, according to its current position and the statements it makes, does not see such attacks as positive. There are elements of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) that are mixed with the people. Such an operation can result in the death of a large number of civilians," Erdogan said.

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