Obama: Iraq Will Need More Help

In the last few months, a militant group has swept across Iraq, taking over city after city. Baghdad may be next, and Washington is, for now, watching it happen in shock.

President Obama spoke to reporters briefly Thursday afternoon about the worsening situation in the country. "What we've seen over the last couple of days indicates the degree to which Iraq's going to need more help," he said. "It's going to need more help from us and it's going to need more help from the international community."

He added: "This should be a wakeup call for the Iraqi government."

For the U.S., nothing is off the table right now. "I don't rule out anything because we do have a stake in making sure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria for that matter," he said.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a Sunni militant group, has seized some of the largest cities in Iraq this week.

And the U.S. has to act fast. "I think it's fair to say that in our consultations with the Iraqis, there will be some short-term, immediate things that need to be done militarily, and our national security team is looking at all the options," Obama said.

The White House has been consulting with Iraqi officials about ISIS for months, the president said. It has provided authorities there with military equipment and intelligence support.