Obama says ‘small number’ of military advisers going to Iraq

Washington (CNN) — Seeking a middle ground between calls for tough military action and none at all, President Barack Obama said Thursday he was sending up to 300 military advisers to Iraq to help the embattled government hold off a lightning advance from the north by Sunni militants.

Obama told White House reporters the goal was to prevent a civil war in Iraq that could destabilize the region, and also prevent creation of a terrorist safe haven in northern Iraq and neighboring Syria from which U.S. enemies could plan and launch attacks against American interests.

READ MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/19/politics/us-iraq/index.html?hpt=hp_t1