Though the crisis in Iraq is reaching critical mass—with the State Department announcing Sunday the evacuation of key personnel from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and administration officials confirming that the administration is turning to Iran for help—President Obama is keeping a close eye on the situation, receiving his briefing from Susan Rice at a vacation home in Palm Springs, California.
As Fox News reports, the president’s Father’s Day vacation was desperately needed, as “the bear has cabin fever”:
The visit to the desert resort area of Palm Springs is one of the ways Obama has been trying to escape during his sixth year cloistered in the White House.
"I think frankly we've all been through a cold and bitter winter and the bear has cabin fever," said Obama friend and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. "His cabin is a little bit bigger and harder to escape than most."
Obama has fantasized about being "on a beach somewhere drinking out of a coconut" or simply being able to walk out of the White House gate and stroll around unrecognized.
The Obamas are staying with the WH decorator Michael Smith and his partner, James Costos, who serves as the American ambassador to Spain. The Rancho Mirage vacation home has all the amenities the “restless” president could ask for, including a gym, private tennis court, swimming pool, nearby golf courses, and beautiful vistas.
Despite the idyllic surroundings, the president made sure to intersperse some official duties over the four-day weekend. He attended a Democratic Party fundraiser, gave a speech on climate change, and called his national security adviser for his Iraq briefing. Despite the potentially bad optics, the president insisted on following through with the vacation.
While the president took his Palm Springs briefing, his plans to ask Iran for assistance on the fight against ISIL forces have been confirmed:
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Obama administration is preparing to open direct talks with Iran on the situation in Iraq and ways to counter the radical Sunni militia there.
Citing an unnamed senior U.S. official, the report said talks could begin this week though no format for discussions has been set.
The situation in Iraq grew even more dire this weekend, as militants took control of Tal Afar and Iraqi forces attempted to mount counterattacks to slow the momentum of ISIL forces as they march on Baghdad. The mounting threat forced Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to order aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush and two other ships into the Persian Gulf.
In response to the imminent threat of an ISIL assault on the capital city, the U.S. State Dept. announced Sunday the evacuation of key personnel of the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. The c. 5,000 personnel at the embassy makes it the world’s largest U.S. diplomatic post.