U.S. Drops Bombs on ISIS in Iraq

The United States dropped laser-guided bombs on ISIS artillery in Iraq on Friday, the Pentagon said — the beginning of airstrikes threatened a day earlier by President Barack Obama. Two FA-18 jets dropped two 500-pound bombs on Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) forces outside Erbil, the Kurdish capital, U.S. officials told NBC News. Obama said Thursday evening that he had authorized "targeted airstrikes" to protect U.S. interests in Iraq. The U.S. also launched an operation to drop humanitarian supplies of food and water to 40,000 members of the Yazidi religious sect, who are trapped on a mountaintop under the threat of mass execution by ISIS militants. Obama said that U.S. ground troops won't be returning to the besieged country.

Clinton: 'Not prepared' to back working with Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed caution Tuesday about the United States working with Iran to combat fast-moving Islamic insurgents in Iraq, saying the U.S. needs to understand "what we're getting ourselves into."

The U.S. and Iran have held an initial discussion about how the longtime foes might cooperate to address the threat from the al-Qaida-linked militants that have swept through Iraq. Clinton said at a CNN town hall meeting that any partnerships with third parties such as Iran would need to be "carefully thought through."

"I am not prepared to say that we go in with Iran right now, until we have a better idea what we're getting ourselves into," said the former secretary of state