(VOVworld) – US president Barack Obama said the US was preparing every possible measure, including military ones, to support Iraq in dealing with al-Qaeda inspired fighters. 

An Iraqi army armored vehicle in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, on June 12, 2014 (Photo: AP)

Obama’s statement came on Thursday as fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seemed likely to take control of the capital Baghdad. Obama said the White House’s consultants were taking into consideration every measure, stressing the need for immediate military action in Iraq to prevent Muslim militants from establishing a firm foothold in Iraq or Syria. However, White House  spokesman Jay Carney said the US would support Iraq in all means but this did not include deployment of troops to the country from which they withdrew in 2011. US companies have evacuated hundreds of people who are working at air force bases in Baghdad, fearing for their safety.