Armed US Drones Are Now Flying Over Baghdad

U.S. Has Armed Drones Over Baghdad, Official Says -- CNN

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Armed drones. Mass graves. The Iraq crisis escalated Friday.

A U.S. official confirmed to CNN that armed American drones started flying over Baghdad in the previous 24 hours to provide additional protection for 180 U.S. military advisers in the area. Until now, U.S. officials had said all drone reconnaissance flights over Iraq were unarmed.

Using the drones for any offensive strikes against insurgent Islamic State in Iraq and Syria fighters would continue to require approval from U.S. President Barack Obama.

The news came on the same day that Human Rights Watch said two mass graves believed to contain the bodies of Iraqi soldiers, police and civilians killed by the Sunni ISIS fighters and their militant allies have been discovered in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

Read more ....

More News On Armed US Drones Now Flying Over Baghdad

U.S. flying armed drones over Baghdad -- CBS/AP
Reports: U.S. flying armed drones over Baghdad -- USA Today
US takes time to gather data before any attacks on Isil in Iraq -- Emirate 24/7-Reuters
Support for Maliki Slips Within His Own Party as Armed U.S. Drones Start Flights -- NYT