The United States should launch targeted military attacks against an emerging "terrorist army" in Iraq if the security of the West is jeopardised, the former head of coalition forces in the country said yesterday.
David Petraeus, one of the most senior figures in the US military over the past decade, told the Daily Telegraph that he would support limited strikes against the leadership of Isis.
Petraeus' intervention came as US President Barack Obama said America was sending 300 special forces advisers to Iraq to help support the fight against Isis. Obama also said that the US was prepared for military strikes if future intelligence recommended such action.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague ruled out any British involvement in military intervention in Iraq.
Petraeus told the Daily Telegraph: "If President Obama and other leaders conclude that the threat posed by Isis is significant then I would support actions to target high-value Isis elements.
