U.S. Confirms Armed Drones Over Baghdad

A U.S. military official has confirmed armed American drones are now flying over Baghdad. The action was made public on the morning of Friday, June 27th.

The source told reporters the weaponized drones are not meant for offensive missions. He said the Predators are there to support American still left inside the beleaguered capital city.

The Pentagon stated around 40 surveillance flights a day are taking place in the region every day. Until now, they have insisted all such missions were unarmed.

Armed forces of ISIS have captured vast areas of the nation, including the second-largest city of Mosul.

Drones controlled by the United States are being flown out of an airfield in Kuwait. In a sign of changing times, the craft are being met by other drone aircraft, operated by Iran. Those are based at an airbase in Baghdad.

The military escalation comes just as lawmakers in Baghdad are preparing to elect a new parliamentary government. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is losing support from Parliament. With a recent rise in activity by American military forces, some members of his own Dawa Party are saying the incumbent leader is not a viable candidate for re-election.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iran’s most powerful Shiite leader, urged members of the Iraqi Parliament to agree on a new Prime Minister before they meet again next week.

Commandos from the Iraqi government landed at a soccer field in Tikrit late on Thursday, clashing with ISIS forces. That city is currently held by the militant force. Forced loyal to the government in Baghdad are also reinforcing positions at the Beiji refinery, that supplies one-quarter of the nation’s energy needs.

Any strikes carried out by the armed drones now flying over Baghdad would have to be authorized by Obama.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/27/world/middleeast/iraqi-parliament-to-meet-to-

form-new-government.html

http://news.antiwar.com/2014/06/26/pentagon-armed-us-drones-flying-over-baghdad

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/26/world/middleeast/iran-iraq.html

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/06/27/368835/armed-us-drones-flying-over-baghdad

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/06/27/iraq-al-sistani-cleric-prime-

minister/11450133