Monday 23 June 2014

Airport to open unisex sauna


Finnair is capitalizing on its culture with an in-lounge sauna. The only thing missing is a post-sweat dip in an icy lake.


Finnair is capitalizing on its culture with an in-lounge sauna. The only thing missing is a post-sweat dip in an icy lake.






  • Finnair adds a sauna to its new airport lounge in Helsinki

  • In Finland, there is one sauna for every three people

  • Towels are recommended, although tradition in Finland is to be naked




(CNN) -- Fancy stripping off before a flight and getting sweaty with fellow passengers?


Finnair think you might like to and has backed the idea by adding a sauna to its new premium lounge in Helsinki Airport.


Airline lounges are prime ways for airlines to promote their brand and showcase all the luxury and service frills they can muster, but with a traditional unisex sauna, Finnair has upped the ante.





The airline has added new shower suites, too. Courtesy Finnair.



The airline has gone big on the Nordic theme throughout the new lounge that opens next week.


Open to passengers holding Finnair's platinum and gold cards, the 407-square meter space is decorated with a variety of Finnish designed homeware from the likes of Marimekko, Iittala Ultima Thule and Eero Saarinen, while video projections reflect the time of day and season.





Our aim was to create an emotional experience for Finnair's clients.

Vertti Kivi, designer




In a country where there's around one sauna for every three people, incorporating one into the new lounge seemed a natural thing to do .


"Our aim was to create a high-quality, even emotional experience for Finnair's demanding clients," says designer Vertti Kivi. "Different zones for work, refreshment, silence or bathing are unified with a light Scandinavian design touch, creating a space that clients won't forget."





Finnair's new Premium lounge will be lit to reflect seasons and times of day. Courtesy Finnair.



The sight of fellow passengers in the nude in a tiny room heated to nearly 100 degrees Celsius could be part of that unforgettable experience, but perhaps not the kind of memory some would want to retain from a business trip.


Traditionally saunas in Finland are taken naked, but guests are "recommended" to use towels, states the airline.


Finnair did have an airport sauna before, but according to the airline, it closed over two years ago because it wasn't financially viable. With an expansion to Helsinki Airport, the airline believe it will be a greater success this time.


READ: Would you pay to use the toilet on a plane?


READ: Beating stress at the airport


READ: The biggest threat in the air? You



Match.com catering to MENSA members






One of Mensa's most famous members is Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis. As if being really smart isn't enough, she also nearly qualified for the women's Olympic archery team. One of Mensa's most famous members is Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis. As if being really smart isn't enough, she also nearly qualified for the women's Olympic archery team.

Funnyman Steve Martin once considered becoming a philosophy professor instead of a comedian. Another Mensa member, he has a <a href='http://ift.tt/1pGM6A6' target='_blank'>self-reported IQ</a> of 142. Funnyman Steve Martin once considered becoming a philosophy professor instead of a comedian. Another Mensa member, he has a self-reported IQ of 142.

Beauty and brains: Actress Natalie Portman completed her degree at Harvard University while filming the "Star Wars" movies. Since graduation, she has lectured at Columbia University on counter-terrorism and hasn't ruled out a career in psychology. Beauty and brains: Actress Natalie Portman completed her degree at Harvard University while filming the "Star Wars" movies. Since graduation, she has lectured at Columbia University on counter-terrorism and hasn't ruled out a career in psychology.

"Modern Family"<i> </i>child<i> </i>star Nolan Gould is just 15, and as of 2012 had already graduated high school. The young member of Mensa has <a href='http://ift.tt/1pGM8b2' target='_blank'>stated</a> his IQ is 150. "Modern Family" child star Nolan Gould is just 15, and as of 2012 had already graduated high school. The young member of Mensa has stated his IQ is 150.

Although she first became famous for her iconic persona on TV's "Laugh-In," Goldie Hawn is nothing like the ditsy woman she portrayed. The actress is a <a href='http://ift.tt/1pGM6Qr' target='_blank'>reported</a> member of Mensa and recently published a book on raising children. Although she first became famous for her iconic persona on TV's "Laugh-In," Goldie Hawn is nothing like the ditsy woman she portrayed. The actress is a reported member of Mensa and recently published a book on raising children.

Many consider Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino a genius for his work on the silver screen. But less known? He's a card-carrying Mensa member with an IQ of 160. Many consider Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino a genius for his work on the silver screen. But less known? He's a card-carrying Mensa member with an IQ of 160.

The star of MTV's "Awkward<i>," </i>Ashley Rickards says she joined Mensa after a competitive ex-boyfriend made her feel intellectually inferior. The star of MTV's "Awkward," Ashley Rickards says she joined Mensa after a competitive ex-boyfriend made her feel intellectually inferior.

Brains don't lie: Colombian singer Shakira <a href='http://ift.tt/15Pu2ZJ' target='_blank'>reportedly has an IQ of 140</a>, which qualifies her for Mensa. Brains don't lie: Colombian singer Shakira reportedly has an IQ of 140, which qualifies her for Mensa.

Best known as Russian boxer Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV," Dolph Lundgren has a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney. With an <a href='http://ift.tt/1pGM76S' target='_blank'>IQ of 160</a>, this Mensa member was once offered a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT. Best known as Russian boxer Ivan Drago in "Rocky IV," Dolph Lundgren has a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney. With an IQ of 160, this Mensa member was once offered a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT.









  • Mensa and Match.com join to launch an exclusive dating service

  • Mensa members can also identify themselves to all Match users

  • Dating expert: You're not entitled to love just because you're smart

  • Single Mensa member: "I just want someone who can keep up with me"




(CNN) -- It takes a special person to join Mensa.


For one, the elite society only takes individuals with IQ scores in the 98th percentile, meaning just 1 in 50 Americans is eligible.


This exclusivity -- some might say snobbery -- is part of Mensa's lore. Early Mensans in Britain walked around with yellow buttons, organizational publications once referred to non-Mensa members as "Densans," and last year, a top Mensa member and tester called anyone with an IQ of 60 a "carrot."


In short, you don't always join Mensa because you think you're smart. You join to be set apart from most people, who are, as one member put it: "mundane."


But a new partnership between American Mensa and online dating giant Match.com offers a new, enticing reason to join the society of geniuses: true love.


Beginning this week, members of the brainiac group can connect through a separate, exclusive dating service called Mensa Match. In addition, Match.com members can add a special Mensa badge to their profiles, signaling a specific interest in connecting with a single person with a confirmed genius-level IQ score.


Smart dating struggles


Anne Sereg is one of those geniuses.


The 55-year-old Florida woman is an IT project manager who graduated high school in three years, college in two-and-a-half and has a law degree from Georgia State University.


"It's been a long time," she said about her dating life. "I went hermit-y for a quite a few years. I just didn't find anyone who's been interesting enough."


Sereg found she does not connect with people who are athletes or sports nuts, for example.


"I'm looking for people who are intellectually curious. And when all you're talking about is sports teams and barbeques ... when you're talking about physical traits and not existential philosophy, I'm not going to get the vibe."


Sereg admits this attitude can limit her relationship options. But one expert thinks the results could be much worse.


Ali Binazir is the author of The Tao of Dating, and penned a 2009 article, "Why the Smartest People Have the Toughest Time Dating."


A Harvard graduate, Binazir said highly intellectual people can frequently feel "entitled" to love. And sometimes this means unwilling to make the compromises for a successful relationship.


"IQ tends to be pretty one-dimensional. There's no way to say if this person interacts well with others," he said. "For a relationship, it matters more how that person implements that intelligence in the real world, for jobs and parenting and exchanging of ideas."


"You need to remove the barriers to love. And when you exclude those people, as smart people tend to do, that's when you become lonely."


According to Match's data, 80% of singles say they "must have" or find it "very important" to be with someone of the same intelligence level.


What your IQ score doesn't tell you


Sereg has decided a college education -- not a Mensa IQ -- is her basic requirement for a future mate.


"I just want someone who can keep up with me," she said.


New possibilities


The new Mensa partnership will give Match.com users a new way to find common ground, said Helen Fisher, a professor at the University of Indiana and Match.com's chief scientific adviser.


"If you're proud of being in Mensa, if someone (else) is also proud of being in Mensa, then you're already in the same clan," she said. "It's not unlike saying I read a lot of books and I'm looking for someone else who reads a lot of books. There's an automatic filter."


In their announcement of the partnership, Mensa and Match.com included a heat map of the U.S., listing where the "smartest singles" live, based on the cities with the highest percentage of Ivy League graduates on the dating site. The top 10 is dominated by college towns such as Durham, North Carolina; Ithaca, New York; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Boulder, Colorado; and Charlottesville, Virginia.


Fisher cites numerous studies that suggest relationships with a brainy mate could come with great perks.


"People who are smarter tend to have a higher income, tend to be creative, coordinated, and good at solving problems," she said. "So not only could you have a better conversation during dinner, but dinner could be in a nicer place, and (you could) leave in nicer car."


Binazir does not believe Mensa members are better at relationships than anyone else. But the partnership with Match.com provides another way for people to find common interests, which is always positive, he said. "I think it's a step in the right direction."


Anne Sereg hopes he is right, but she won't get too excited just yet.


"One of the most recent marriages in our Mensa group came through finding each other on Match.com, and that was before the partnership," she said.


"I'm hoping that it (works). I don't know if it will. But you can't go anywhere if you don't have hope."



Christian freed after death sentence





  • "I will remain a Christian," she told a judge sentencing her to death

  • Meriam Yehya Ibrahim was sentenced in May to death by hanging for apostasy

  • An appeals court rules the initial judgment was faulty, her lawyer says

  • Ibrahim gave birth to a girl in a prison last month




(CNN) -- A Sudanese woman has been freed from prison a month after being sentenced to die by hanging for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.


"I am a Christian," Meriam Yehya Ibrahim told the judge at her sentencing hearing in May, "and I will remain a Christian."


An appeals court in Sudan ruled that a lower court's judgment against the 27-year-old was faulty, her lawyer, Mohaned Mustafa El-Nour, said Monday. He declined to elaborate.


An international controversy erupted over Ibraham's conviction in May by a Sudanese court on charges of apostasy, or the renunciation of faith, and adultery. Ibrahim was eight months pregnant when was sentenced to suffer 100 lashes and then be hanged.


"I'm so frustrated. I don't know what to do," her husband, Daniel Wani told CNN in May. "I'm just praying." Wani, uses a wheelchair and "totally depends on her for all details of his life," Ibrahim's lawyer said.


Ibrahim was reunited with her husband after getting out of custody, her lawyer said Monday.


Ibrahim gave birth to a girl in a prison last month, two weeks after she was sentenced. She was in the women's prison with her 20-month-old son, but Sudanese officials said the toddler was free to leave at any time, according to her lawyer.


The criminal complaint filed by a brother, a Muslim, said her family was shocked to find out Ibrahim had married a Christian, U.S. citizen Daniel Wani, after she was missing for several years, according to her lawyer. A Muslim woman's marriage to a Christian man is not considered legal in Sudan, thus the adultery charge.


The apostasy charge came because Ibrahim proclaimed herself to be Christian, not Muslim. Her mother, an Ethiopian Orthodox, was abandoned by her Sudanese Muslim father when Ibrahim was just 6 and she was raised as a Christian, she said.


Sudanese Parliament speaker Fatih Izz Al-Deen defended the conviction last month, insisting that claims that Ibrahim was raised as non-Muslim are untrue. She was raised in an Islamic environment, Al-Deen said.


The lower court had warned Ibrahim to renounce her Christianity by May 15, but she held firm to her beliefs while her lawyer appealed the conviction and sentence.


Her sentence had drawn international condemnation from rights groups and foreign embassies in Khartoum, including those of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.


Opinion: Why marrying for love should never mean death



Kerry: U.S. support for Iraq 'intense'





  • NEW: Militant fighters believed to be ISIS seize the Baiji oil refinery, sources say

  • United States, Iraq reach agreement over legal protections for U.S. advisers

  • John Kerry says Iraqi leaders agree to form a new government by July 1

  • U.S. defense official says Iraq's military is plagued with morale, training problems




Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Iraqi leaders Monday as radical Sunni militants continue their march toward Baghdad during the country's tensest time since the U.S. withdrawal of troops in 2011.


"The future of Iraq depends on decisions made in the next few days and weeks," Kerry said after meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the man who some observers say needs to step down.


Al-Maliki has agreed to a July 1 deadline to begin the process to form a new government, a requirement for U.S. assistance in fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, Kerry said.


"Our support will be intense, sustained," and will be effective if Iraqi leaders unite to face the militant threat, he said.


With al-Maliki's Shiite-led government losing more ground to ISIS, Kerry implored the leader to rise above "sectarian motivations" to become more inclusive and make the government more representative of Iraq's population.





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Kerry also met with Iraq's foreign minister as well as Shiite and Sunni leaders.


Al-Malaki's office issued a statement after his meeting with Kerry, saying the Prime Minister told Kerry the current situation "poses a threat" not only to Iraq but the region as well. Al-Malaki "called on the countries of the world, especially countries in the region, to take it seriously," the statement said.


But outside the rooms of high-level talks, parts of Iraq are falling by the day. Here's the latest on the crisis that is spilling far beyond Iraq's borders:


Where is Iraq's military?


The United States believes "multiple Iraqi military divisions" outside Baghdad have dissolved and are plagued by problems in morale, leadership, training and equipment, according to a senior U.S. defense official.


"The readiness outside of Baghdad is certainly in question as they have ceded multiple towns. Forces in Baghdad seems to be holding today," the official said.


The United States believes there are around 10,000 fighters who are either affiliated with ISIS or members of the group, the official said, and while they are stretched thin over vast territory, they are getting support in the Sunni areas they increasingly control.


Kerry said Monday in Baghdad that President Barack Obama has prepared "a range of options for Iraq," including enhanced intelligence, joint operations centers, military advisers and "steady supplies of munitions."


But the United States is being more careful about sending additional weapons and ammunition to Iraq, because of a lack of confidence in the Iraqi troops, the defense official said.


ISIS captures more ground


Militant fighters believed to be ISIS have seized the Baiji oil refinery, the largest in Iraq, three Iraqi security sources told CNN Monday.


Earlier in the day, an Iraqi military spokesman had said that an attack was under way, but had been repelled by security forces. CNN cannot independently confirm either claim.


The Baiji refinery is a key strategic resource because it refines much of the fuel needed for internal consumption. There are already long lines at many gas stations across the country.


ISIS militants also advanced toward Baghdad over the weekend from the north and the west. At least 70% of Anbar province is now under the control of ISIS, two security officials in the region told CNN.









An ISIS fighter takes control of a traffic intersection in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, on Sunday, June 22. Vast swaths of northern Iraq, including the cities of Mosul and Tal Afar, have fallen as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, advances toward Baghdad, the capital. The ISIS militants want to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state, in the region, stretching from Iraq into northern Syria.An ISIS fighter takes control of a traffic intersection in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq, on Sunday, June 22. Vast swaths of northern Iraq, including the cities of Mosul and Tal Afar, have fallen as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, advances toward Baghdad, the capital. The ISIS militants want to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state, in the region, stretching from Iraq into northern Syria.



An ISIS member distributes a copy of the Quran, Islam's holy book, to a driver in Mosul on June 22. An ISIS member distributes a copy of the Quran, Islam's holy book, to a driver in Mosul on June 22.



Members of ISIS patrol in Falluja, 40 miles west of Baghdad, on Saturday, June 21. Members of ISIS patrol in Falluja, 40 miles west of Baghdad, on Saturday, June 21.



Volunteers raise their weapons and chant slogans during a parade in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City, Baghdad, on Saturday, June 21. Volunteers raise their weapons and chant slogans during a parade in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City, Baghdad, on Saturday, June 21.



Iraqi men register to volunteer to fight alongside security forces against Sunni Muslim militants and jihadists on Friday, June 20, at a recruitment center in Baghdad.Iraqi men register to volunteer to fight alongside security forces against Sunni Muslim militants and jihadists on Friday, June 20, at a recruitment center in Baghdad.



New Iraqi army recruits gather in Najaf on Wednesday, June 18, following a call for Iraqis to take up arms against Islamic militant fighters. New Iraqi army recruits gather in Najaf on Wednesday, June 18, following a call for Iraqis to take up arms against Islamic militant fighters.



Soldiers with an Iraqi anti-terrorism unit are on guard June 18 in Baghdad.Soldiers with an Iraqi anti-terrorism unit are on guard June 18 in Baghdad.



A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter injured in clashes with members of ISIS lies in a hospital in Irbil on June 18.A Kurdish Peshmerga fighter injured in clashes with members of ISIS lies in a hospital in Irbil on June 18.



An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter lands on the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, June 17. The carrier moved into the region to give President Barack Obama "additional flexibility," the Pentagon has said.An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter lands on the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday, June 17. The carrier moved into the region to give President Barack Obama "additional flexibility," the Pentagon has said.



Newly recruited Iraqi volunteer fighters take part in a training session in Karbala on June 17.Newly recruited Iraqi volunteer fighters take part in a training session in Karbala on June 17.



Iraqi tribesmen gather in Baghdad on Monday, June 16, to show their readiness to join Iraqi security forces in the fight against Islamic militants.Iraqi tribesmen gather in Baghdad on Monday, June 16, to show their readiness to join Iraqi security forces in the fight against Islamic militants.



Iraqi Christian children gather inside the Church of the Virgin Mary for prayers in Bartala, Iraq, a town near Mosul, on Sunday, June 15. Militants seized Mosul last week, reportedly leading more than 500,000 people to flee Iraq's second-largest city.Iraqi Christian children gather inside the Church of the Virgin Mary for prayers in Bartala, Iraq, a town near Mosul, on Sunday, June 15. Militants seized Mosul last week, reportedly leading more than 500,000 people to flee Iraq's second-largest city.



Shiite tribal fighters raise their weapons and chant slogans against ISIS in Basra, Iraq, on June 15. Shiite tribal fighters raise their weapons and chant slogans against ISIS in Basra, Iraq, on June 15.






Members of ISIS prepare to execute some soldiers from Iraq's security forces in this image, one of many reportedly posted by the militant group online. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the images.Members of ISIS prepare to execute some soldiers from Iraq's security forces in this image, one of many reportedly posted by the militant group online. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of the images.



A woman cradles her baby Thursday, June 12, at a temporary camp set up in Aski Kalak, Iraq, to shelter those fleeing the violence in northern Nineveh province.A woman cradles her baby Thursday, June 12, at a temporary camp set up in Aski Kalak, Iraq, to shelter those fleeing the violence in northern Nineveh province.



A girl fleeing from Mosul arrives at a Kurdish checkpoint on June 12.A girl fleeing from Mosul arrives at a Kurdish checkpoint on June 12.



Iraqi men chant slogans outside of an army recruiting center to volunteer for military service June 12 in Baghdad.Iraqi men chant slogans outside of an army recruiting center to volunteer for military service June 12 in Baghdad.



Kurdish Peshmerga forces, along with Iraqi special forces, deploy their troops and armored vehicles outside of Kirkuk, Iraq, on June 12.Kurdish Peshmerga forces, along with Iraqi special forces, deploy their troops and armored vehicles outside of Kirkuk, Iraq, on June 12.



Children stand next to a burnt vehicle during clashes between Iraqi security forces and ISIS militants in Mosul on Tuesday, June 10.Children stand next to a burnt vehicle during clashes between Iraqi security forces and ISIS militants in Mosul on Tuesday, June 10.



Civilians from Mosul escape to a refugee camp near Irbil, Iraq, on June 10. Civilians from Mosul escape to a refugee camp near Irbil, Iraq, on June 10.



Iraqis fleeing the violence wait in their vehicles at a Kurdish checkpoint in Aski Kalak on June 10.Iraqis fleeing the violence wait in their vehicles at a Kurdish checkpoint in Aski Kalak on June 10.







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Photos: Iraq under siegePhotos: Iraq under siege






Mass exodus tears Iraqi families apart




Kerry: Moment of 'great urgency' in Iraq




Militants capture chemical weapons plant

ISIS is on a mission to create an Islamic state across Sunni areas of Iraq and in Syria.


Militants have taken over the Tal Afar airbase in northern Iraq as well as the city of Tal Afar, officials said.


On Monday, Iraqi troops prepared to recapture the airbase, Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abu al-Waleed said. "At least 1,000 Iraqi troops have amassed to the north of Tal Afar and are firing rockets at militants in control of the city," he said.


The fighters also seized the western Anbar town of Rutba, 70 miles (113 kilometers) from the borders of Jordan and Saudi Arabia, security sources in Baghdad and Anbar told CNN on Sunday.


Then there's Qaim. ISIS captured the city along the Syrian border Saturday, and the militants now enjoy a stronghold and a number of other towns in Anbar province. The fighters have a direct line to the western outskirts of Baghdad, where tension simmers just beneath the surface.


Checkpoints in the capital seemed to pop up overnight, particularly the closer one got to central Baghdad. Security forces appeared to be controlling access to neighborhoods through a mix of checkpoints and road closures.


Dozens of prisoners, five police killed


At least 71 prisoners and five police officers were killed Monday when militants attacked an Iraqi police convoy transferring inmates from one prison to another, police said.


Five militants were also killed. It was not immediately clear whether ISIS was behind the attack.


The convoy was traveling from Hilla, a predominately Shiite city south of Baghdad, to another prison north of the city. Police did not provide further details about the attack.


Iraq's military is accusing ISIS of carrying out massacres.


"Hundreds of Iraqi soldiers have been beheaded and hung and their bodies have been desecrated," said Iraq's military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta. "Why has the U.N. not decried these atrocious crimes, which are among the biggest crimes against humanity?"


Sharia law spreads


One of ISIS' biggest victories came when it took over Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, this month. On Sunday, witnesses said militants paraded around the city in vehicles, announcing on loudspeakers that they have decided to form Islamic Sharia courts in Mosul.


Sharia law covers religious and nonreligious aspects of life, and ISIS has begun imposing Sharia law in the towns it controls.


Boys and girls must be separated at school. Women must wear the niqab, or full veil, in public. Music is banned, and fasting is enforced during Ramadan.


The military denies huge losses


But Iraq's military said it's not losing as much ground to ISIS as some may think. The military made a "strategic withdrawal" in some areas, Atta, the military spokesman, told reporters.


He said the withdrawals were part of a campaign to "open all these fronts so we can strengthen our positions." But Atta did not detail the specific locations.


Two security officials told CNN that Iraqi forces have withdrawn from Haditha, 168 miles (about 270 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad.


But even if some withdrawals were strategic, it's unclear when or how Iraqi forces could retake areas now in the hands of well-armed ISIS fighters.


The military said it has fought back against militants with airstrikes. Officials showed reporters footage of airstrikes they said took place in Tal Afar.


Atta said the video showed a "large number of ISIS forces fleeing these strikes" that left up to 50 people dead.


Recruiting station gets pummeled


Apparently, those trying to join Iraqi forces are at risk before they even enlist.


In the Shiite-dominated Hilla, at least four people were killed in a shelling attack on a recruiting station. Another 34 people were wounded.


Hundreds of predominantly Shiite men went to the recruiting station to answer a call to arms to protect Iraq.


U.S. sends more help


The U.S. will have a greater presence in Iraq aside from Kerry's visit this week. About 300 U.S. military advisers will arrive, a senior defense official said. They will not be deployed all at once.


The United States has reached an agreement with the Iraqi government over legal protection for those advisers, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said Monday.


"We believe these protections are adequate to the short-term assessment and advisory mission our troops will be performing in Iraq. With this agreement, we will be able to start establishing the first few assessment teams," he said.


In addition, some U.S. military personnel already at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will be reassigned and become advisers.


The first military advisers will focus on assessing the strengths and weaknesses of Iraqi security forces, U.S. officials said. The advisers will also assess what Iraqi military equipment and weapons may now be in the hands of ISIS, and try to get better intelligence on ISIS strategy, weapons, and movements of its fighters.


But Obama said there's only so much the United States can do.


"Part of the task now is to see whether Iraqi leaders are prepared to rise above sectarian motivations, come together, compromise," the President told CNN's Kate Bolduan.


"If they can't, there's not going to be a military solution to this problem. There's no amount of American firepower that's going to be able to hold the country together, and I've made that very clear to Mr. Maliki and all the other leadership inside of Iraq."


How has ISIS become one of the richest ever militant groups?


Political Chatter: The new Iraq debate


View from Baghdad: Answering your questions about Iraq


CNN's Chelsea J. Carter and Hamdi Alkhshali reported from Baghdad, and Susanna Capelouto wrote and reported from Atlanta. CNN's Barbara Starr, Holly Yan, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Nic Robertson and Tim Lister also contributed to this report.