Obama, who has spent much of his presidency distancing himself from the Iraq war, stressed during a speech at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa that airstrikes would be the central US contribution to the fight against Islamic State, along with coordinating a coalition that he said now includes more than 40 countries.
"I want to be clear. The American forces that have been deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission," Obama said.
His message came a day after General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, left the door slightly ajar to the possibility of some ground forces during congressional testimony that worried some Democrats.
"As your commander in chief I will not commit you and the rest of our armed forces to fighting another ground war in Iraq," Obama said. REUTERS