Going to be in a combat role in iraq. They are there on a temporary getting the population off the mountain. This would be the effort to get them to a safe space. There are a range of ways for doing that. We have made decisions about how to carry out that mission because we want to get the readout from this Assessment Team first. [inaudible] i think it will be quickly, in that are of days. We dont think it is sustainable to have permanent airdrops to the population on the mountain. Some have been able to escape, but again, we want to get options in place to move them to a safer place. There are a range of ways for doing that. Again, we will be cooperating with Kurdish Forces who are also cooperating in the region, other International Partners. Our goal here is to work with iraqis and with International Partners so that these people can get off that mountain to a safer place. Again, we do not believe that that involves u. S. Troops reentering a combat role in iraq , but involves frankly a difficult logistical challenge of moving folks who are in danger on that mountain to a safer position. There would be some danger to u. S. Personnel involved in a mission like that . If any time you have even now, as we speak, we have pilots flying over iraq. That always carries with it danger. In any effort, there are always dangers involved. I think the key point here is that the u. S. Forces the role of u. S. Forces is not one of reentering combat on the ground but how to provide humanitarian assistance to this affected. Opulation again, in terms of the kinetic actions that are being taken, those are in the form of air strikes. [inaudible] well, look, as a bottom line, force protection is always a mission for u. S. Personnel in any country in the world. We have already reinforced our and deceit in baghdad our in in sea our Embassy Baghdad who are there for the express purpose of protecting those facilities. Any u. S. Personnel anywhere in the world has the ability to protect themselves, but the purpose and the mission they are going to iraq for is not to engage in combat. It is to make an assessment on a temporary basis about how we have moved that population off the mountain into a safe place. [inaudible] that isis does pose a National Security threat to the United States. Well, look, the president has ordered this military action in iraq he cause of the threat that they post to our people, so by definition, we absolutely a threathat isil poses to u. S. Persons and u. S. Personnel. We are focused on dealing with that threat right now and iraq so that the terrorist cannot advance. Airstrikes we have launched have stopped those advances and given space for the Kurdish Forces to , but we are always monitoring, not just the security of our facilities and people, but also monitoring plots against the United States, and we will continue to do that. What are the options for providing a safe corridor to get the refugees off that mountain . We have a range of options and we will rely on what the teams report back. You look at core doors, airlifts, different ways to move people who are in a very dangerous place on that mountain to a safer position, and that is exactly what our team is doing now on the ground in iraq. Is he willing to consider the option of sending a certain number of troops in there for the purpose of establishing something like, you know, a force protection, like you are saying . We have not made that decision at this point. We want to see what the circumstances are, see what options are available for moving those people who are trapped on the mountain. We obviously have not just u. S. Personnel who could potentially be engaged in that type of effort we have Kurdish Forces who are engaged in the area with isil. We have International Partners who also want to support the provision of humanitarian assistance, so we will look at what the best way and the safest way is to get those people off that mountain, and the president will be making decisions after he hears back from the military about what they found on the ground in iraq. The president said over and over again, no combat troops, no. Round troops in iraq does that statement extend to the idea of a state court or . Think i hear you saying that the president has not ruled out sending in additional troops to establish a safe corridor for the refugees to get off that mountain. Again, he has not received a recommendation to establish a tooor at this point establish a corridor at this point, but there are a variety of ways in which we can support the safe removal of those people from the mountain. Frankly, we already have people on the ground working with jointh forces in a operation center, so there are ways in which we can coordinate with iraqi forces on the ground and seeking to combat the threat and to bring people to a safe space, but again, as we make decisions about what the best course of action is bringing those people to safety, we will be very transparent about that. We are using u. S. Military personnel to assess what the best way is to bring people to safety and with the best way is to provide them with humanitarian assistance. But again, always, force a mission for u. S. Personnel wherever they are in the world. That is certainly true of the reinforcements that are protecting our facility in baghdad. What information does the u. S. Have on people who still are stranded on the mountain and where exactly they are . There have been a broad range that goates to date into the tens of thousands. We believe that some number of thousands of people have been able to escape from the a safen, but not in enough way and to a safe enough space that we are confident that the remaining people who are trapped there can get off. Part of what these teams can do working with Kurdish Forces is try to get an understanding of the scope of the challenge on the mountain as well as the routes to remove people. To date, we have also again provided 100 thousand meals, some 27,000 gallons of water. Continue those airdrops. The british have done a number of air drops, and we continue to do that. Weve had offers of assistance from france, canada, australia. We are getting aid to the people who are on the mountain while also trying to determine the best means to bring them to a safe place. Malik he is showing isistance maliki showing resistance. A message . Have the message to all of iraqs leaders as there is a peaceful process in place to get a new government for iraq. There is a new president , a new speaker of parliament, and an alliance of different political blocs has put forward a candidate for Prime Minister, and now the president has asked him to form a government. In our view, he is clearly the Prime Minister designate in iraq. The process dates to go forward for him to put together a government and submitted to parliament, but that is the process in place that all iraqis have to ask have to inspect. Any efforts to derail that process, any efforts to use violence instead of working peacefully through the process will be rejected not just by the United States, but by iraqis themselves, but by the international community. We want to see a peaceful context for this process to conclude. Theres an enormous opportunity to get a government that all the different factions can buy into, can support, and turn energy where it needs to be, which is combating the threat from isil. [inaudible] process hasthe moved forward. He is still there. There is a 30day period now that he has been designated for the next Prime Minister for him to form his government, present it to parliament. That is the step that needs to take place for this to be formalized. That is an ongoing process, but i think our message to prime all our maliki and iraqi leaders is that this is the one process that is consistent with iraqi constitution that will lead to new government, and he needs to respect that process, let it go forward. Frankly, this is not being imposed on anybody from outside of iraq. This is what the iraqis themselves have decided to do, including, importantly, not just the kurdish president and speaker, but the different shia political factions that put forward their candidate for Prime Minister. [inaudible] the white house will be very glad to see a new government in place. We believe it is necessary, frankly, to bring the country together. What has happened in the course of the last several years, if you did not have iraq is working together across different sectarian and communal lines, you had a sunni population that became disaffected. That led to a loss of confidence theertain parts of iraq and Iraqi Security forces. Often, we are asked the longterm strategy for dealing with isil. I think its very clear you get a new government in place. That provides the basis for all of iraqs communities to support the government in baghdad and turn the focus to where it needs to be. We will be providing training and equipping Security Assistance and advice to iraqi and Kurdish Forces, and then we can begin to squeeze the space at startl is operating to push them back, but that demands the cooperation of all iraqis, and thats the opportunity we have with this new government. Does that extend to getting the refugees off the mountain either through a quarter corridor or airlift, and also, do we need personnel up there to help distribute the aid . In the first instance, iraqis and Kurdish Forces in particular have been engaged. They have a presence on the mountain, and they will certainly be cooperating with us in this effort. The brits have been the most forward leaning of all of our allies in terms of doing humanitarian airdrops. Prime minister cameron today indicated that they want to work work to get that population to a safe place, so the United Kingdom has been fully in coordination with us in the provision of humanitarian assistance. Again, we have offers of support from a number of allies like france, australia, canada. We will be in discussions with them about what they can do, both as it relates to helping population has been trapped on the mountain but also more broadly helping bring relief to the displaced persons in Northern Iraq, which includes enormousyazidis but an number of Iraqi Christians and others who have been driven from their homes by isil. Are you concerned about the chaos that would be cause by just dropping supplies in there and letting the people sorted out . Again, we have done several airdrops. I think every night. We have good fidelity on where ,he food and water is dropping and we are watching how that reaches the population, and we are able to make sure we are trying to drop food and water in places where we believe people are concentrated. We have done these types of humanitarian airdrops in other instances, so again, we have an ability to focus on where we believe people are most impacted, but part of what these Assessment Teams will do, who are going to Northern Iraq, is get a better understanding of the situation on the mountain, where folks are, so that can help inform, again, but how we move them off the mountain but also how we are providing that humanitarian assistance. If it is not being equitably distributed, does that suggest an american presence on the mountain . When you talk about 100 thousand meals, 27,000 gallons of water, that is not including the british support theres clearly a lot of food and water and other support that is reaching the mountain and the people on the mountain, but he would be the first to acknowledge that is not a permanent solution. Just dropping food and water in perpetuity from the air. That is what we are turning our focus to right now. I think you can appreciate the specificity of this question when the president asks military advisers for recommendations, he spells out his own limits. Has the president told his military advisers, dont bring includingendation u. S. Military personnel on the ground as part of a corridor to remove the yazidis or anyone else . Is that off the table as far as what the president is asking for as far as actionable decisions, or has he said that if theres a way that u. S. Troops can expedite that, hes open to that . I say two things first is we have a range of ways that we can support this type of effort. The president s one limiting factor he has communicated repeatedly in public and to the military is we do not want to be reintroducing u. S. Forces into a combat role on the ground. What im saying is he is open to recommendations in which the United States is helping to facilitate the removal of these , whichfrom the mountain we believe is separate from saying u. S. Forces will be redeployed in iraq in a combat role but take the fight to isil. The people on the Ground Fighting isil are the Kurdish Forces in iraq and security forces. We are taking action from the air on the objective of protecting our people and providing humanitarian space for the yazidis, in particular on the mountain. If there are additional things we can do, he will certainly review those options. Defining it as a humanitarian mission does not mean it is not dangerous and does not mean it could not turn into a combat situation. Absolutely, there are dangers involved with any military situation. We would absolutely acknowledge that. Theres dangers when pilots are flying. Theres dangers when you are in a difficult situation as we are in iraq, but he is confident that we can have a limited military objective. When people talk about whether or not the United States is going to be drawn more into another war in iraq on the ground, i think what they need to know is we have laid out with the objectives are for our military, which are protecting our people and carry out the humanitarian mission. The broader effort to take the the ground ison being carried out by iraqi and Kurdish Forces with our training, arming, advice, but again, they are the ones engaged in combat, not just around the perimeter, but around other parts of iraq. Thank you. Thanks. I have one quick announcement, and then we can get to your questions. President obama set a goal early in his first term to lay the foundation for the United States to lead the world with the highest proportion of College Graduates by 2020. Last january, the president asked College President s to increase College Opportunity for all americans because a College Degree remains one of the surest ways to get into the middle class and is an especially powerful engine of social and economic nobility. Today, we are pleased to announce two things first, 14 Additional Community colleges as well as new private sector partnerships are joining this effort. They will join more than 100 colleges and 40 nonprofits across the country who have been working to advance College Opportunity earlier this year. Second, the president and first housesl host the white second College Opportunity summit on december 4 of this year. This years summit will focus on building strong k12 and Higher Education partnerships to encourage more students to go to college and to finish their degree, especially for first generation, low income, and underrepresented students. These efforts have inspired thegement in support of progress of educational leaders, who have taken collective action in their schools and communities to do all they can to help more lowincome students prepare and succeed in college. With that, i will take your questions. Give us the president s reaction to secretary clintons interview in the atlantic this week . I think we addressed this yesterday. The president indeed appreciated secretary clintons call, as he does every opportunity to chat with the former secretary of state. They have a close and resilient relationship. I think you will remember that in 2007, as some of you covered, in about the president ial debates and even after a hardfought nomination contest, the president felt strongly he wanted her to be a key member of his team. That is why secretary clinton was the president s partner for a widears and managing array of complicated Foreign Policy situations. They continue to agree on a broad majority of issues confronting our country if they even if they have the occasional foreignpolicy difference. The president appreciates her counsel and advice but more importantly her friendship, and thats why he looks forward to seeing her this evening. Was he upset [inaudible] im not going to get into a behind the scenes here. I will say the president appreciated her call yesterday, as he does every opportunity to chat with secretary clinton. Clintons folks put out a short read out of that call, but we are looking onwards and upwards. Can you talk about what is going to happen tonight [inaudible] sure. As im sure most americans watching who have a birthday party, they would all love you to join them. Expect access for this private social gathering of someones birthday. I understand the press interest, so we will try to get you a sense of some sort of readout of what happens after the fact. [inaudible] thats correct. Thats it . Jim. Try cute try. [inaudible] secretary clinton said she wanted to hug it out. I believe the president and secretary clinton have had many hugs over the past few years. I suspect many of them have been caught on camera. Again, i appreciate the request, but i do think this is a private social gathering for someones birthday, so it will be hard to bring all of you lovely people in. [inaudible] sure. Im not sure anyone i