“President Obama announced Thursday that he had authorized targeted airstrikes in Iraq and carried out a humanitarian airdrop to aid thousands of religious minorities trapped in the mountains by Sunni militants.

“I said in June, as the terrorist group ISIL began an advance across Iraq that the U.S. would be prepared to take targeted military action in Iraq if and when we determined that the situation required it,” the president said in an address from the White House. “In recent days, these terrorists have continued to move across Iraq, near the city of Erbil where American diplomats and civilians serve at our consulate and American military personnel advise Iraqi forces.”

“To stop the advance on Erbil I’ve directed our military to take targeted military strikes against ISIL convoys should they move toward the city,” Obama added.“* Cenk Uygur, John Iadarola (TYT University), Ben Mankiewicz (Turner Classic Movies) and Cara Santa Maria (Talk Nerdy Podcast) break it down.

*Read more here from Benjamin Landy / MSNBC:
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/us-launches-humanitarian-air-drop-mission-iraq