President Obama: No ‘Complete Strategy’ for Helping Iraq

The United States does not yet have a “complete strategy” for helping the Iraqis fight the Islamic State, U.S. President Barack Obama said Monday during his closing remarks at the G-7 conference in Germany.

The president said a strategy pends on the “commitments” of the Iraqis. His statements received criticism from Republican opponents, with the Republican National Committee asking the president what he “has been doing for the last 10 months.”

The U.S. is carrying out airstrikes in the region and currently has a force of 3,000 troops in Iraq. Despite U.S. efforts, Islamic State militants continue to make inroads throughout Syria and Iraq.

Ramadi, the largest city in western Iraq, fell into Islamic State hands in May.