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U.S. Aircraft Carrier Ordered to Persian Gulf in Wake of Iraq Unrest

The USS George H.W. Bush moved from the the North Arabian Sea into the Persian Gulf to keep Americans safe in Iraq, if need be.
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U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush to the Persian Gulf on Saturday to “protect” American lives and interests during terror flare-ups in several Iraqi towns.

The order gives President Barack Obama “additional flexibility” in case military measures are required to safeguard Americans in Iraq, said Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby.

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Sunni insurgents have taken over several Iraqi towns and are threatening to move south to the capital of Baghdad, causing more than half a million residents to flee.

On Friday, Obama said the U.S. would not send troops back to Iraq, but he was consulting with his national security team to "prepare a range of other options."

"Iraqi security forces have proven unable to defend in a number of cities," Obama added.

Iraq has asked the U.S. for air assistance in tempering the militant uprising, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

"What we've seen indicates Iraq's going to need more help, from us and from the international community," Obama said Wednesday. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney clarified that the president was speaking about air strikes.

The USS George H.W. Bush — accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun — is expected to arrive on the Gulf late Saturday, Kirby said.

— Elisha Fieldstadt

Jim Miklaszewski and Courtney Kube of NBC News contributed to this report.

Image: Handout photo of aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush transiting the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea
The aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush transits the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea in this Feb. 27, 2014 photo provided by the U.S. Navy.U.S. Navy via Reuters