US unleashes new attacks on Islamic militants

The United States launched a new barrage of airstrikes against the Islamic State extremist group that seized a swath of territory across Iraq and Syria and beheaded US journalist James Foley.

The White House also revealed that the US mounted a secret rescue mission inside Syria earlier this summer that failed to rescue Foley and other US citizens still being held hostage.

US President Barack Obama vowed relentless pursuit of the terrorists. In brief but forceful remarks, Obama said on Wednesday that the US would "do what we must to protect our people". But he stopped short of promising to follow the Islamic State to its safe haven within Syria, where officials said Foley had been killed. Later, though, the administration revealed that several dozen special operations troops had been on the ground in Syria briefly in an effort to rescue the hostages, but did not find them.

Looking ahead, the US State Department refused to rule out future US military operations in Syria, where Obama has long resisted intervening in a three-year civil war.

Western nations agreed to speed help to combat the militants - most notably Germany, which bucked public opposition by announcing it would arm Iraqi Kurdish fighters to defend their people against the Islamic State. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he was outraged by the beheading, deeming it evidence of a "caliphate of barbarism". Italy's defense minister said the country hopes to contribute machine guns, ammunition and anti-tank rockets.

More US troops

The Islamic State called Foley's death a revenge killing for US airstrikes against militants in Iraq, and said other hostages will be slain if the attacks continued.

Undeterred, the US conducted 14 additional strikes after a video of the beheading surfaced, bringing to 84 the number of airstrikes since they began on Aug 8.

Two US officials said additional US troops - probably less than 300 - could be headed to Iraq to provide extra security around Baghdad, where the US embassy is located. That would bring the total number of US forces in Iraq to well over 1,000, although officials said no final decision had been made. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter openly.

Foley's mother said she is praying for other hostages being held by the Sunni-dominated terror group, and described her son's slaying as "just evil".

(China Daily 08/22/2014 page11)