ISIL Conquers Two More Iraqi Cities: Kirkuk and Tikrit

[CidanSultan]

Damaged vehicles belonging to Iraqi security forces are seen during clashes between Iraqi security forces and al Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the northern Iraq city of Mosul on June 10, 2014. Reuters

 

A man speaks on a mobile phone as families fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Mosul arrive at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region on June 10, 2014. Reuters

 

Families fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Mosul wait at a checkpoint in outskirts of Arbil, in Iraq's Kurdistan region on June 10, 2014.

 

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki urged parliament to declare a state of emergency in the country as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, militant group seized Nineveh province and the city of Kirkuk in northern Iraq, after taking control of Mosul on Tuesday.

 

The advance by ISIL after it took over Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq and capital of Nineveh province, has reportedly forced more than 150,000 people to flee the region. A parliamentary speaker told media that the militants were now heading south toward Salaheddin province, which lies to the north of Baghdad, while Maliki reportedly said that the government would arm civilians who wish to defend their region and “defeat terrorism.”

 

"We will not allow Mosul to be under the banner of terrorism, We call on all international organisations to support Iraq and its stance in fighting terrorism. The entire world will suffer if terrorism spreads," Maliki said, according to Al Jazeera.

 

The U.S. Department of State, in a statement, condemned the latest offensive by ISIL, a Sunni jihadist group, and said that its advance had to be stopped.

 

“Senior U.S. officials in both Washington and Baghdad are tracking events closely in coordination with the Government of Iraq, as well as Iraqi leaders from across the political spectrum including the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and support a strong, coordinated response to push back against this aggression,” Jen Psaki, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said, in a statement, Tuesday, adding: “It should be clear that ISIL is not only a threat to the stability of Iraq, but a threat to the entire region.”

 

The U.S. will provide "some security assistance" to the Iraqi government, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said, according to the Guardian, before calling on Iraqi leaders, including Maliki, to "step up to the plate" and take responsibility.

[DoctorKenney]

The PM of Iraq, Nouri Al Maliki is to blame for this. He is a complete fool who alienated the Sunnis in his country, and he gave all the government posts and power to the Shias.

 

He suppressed the Sunnis, and now this is coming back to bite him in the ass. Many of those SAME Sunnis he suppressed have allied with ISIS and are now fighting against the Iraqi Government

 

UNBELIEVABLE incompetence. This is disgraceful.

[CidanSultan]

Almost half of Iraq is under the isil and now they want Baghdad and have threatened to burn down Karbala and Najaf ...