MSM coverage of Iraq

This is about as much as MSM is prepared to give away at the moment

Advancing Iraq rebels seize northwest town in heavy battle

Sunni insurgents seized a mainly ethnic Turkmen city in northwestern Iraq on Sunday after heavy fighting, solidifying their grip on the north after a lightning offensive that threatens to dismember Iraq.

Reuters,

15 June, 2014

Residents reached by telephone in the city of Tal Afar said it had fallen to the rebels from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant after a battle that saw heavy casualties on both sides.

"The city was overrun by militants. Severe fighting took place, and many people were killed. Shi'ite families have fled to the west and Sunni families have fled to the east," said a city official who asked not to be identified.

Tal Afar is a short drive west from Mosul, the north's main city, which the ISIL fighters seized last week at the start of a drive that has plunged the country into the worst crisis since U.S. troops withdrew.

The advance has alarmed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite supporters in Iran as well as the United States, which helped bring Maliki to power after its 2003 invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.

Washington on Sunday ordered military personnel to boost security for its diplomatic staff in Baghdad and said some staff were being evacuated from the embassy as the Iraqi government battled to hold off insurgents.(Full Story)

The United States is also preparing to open a direct dialogue with longtime arch-foe Iran on the security situation in Iraq and ways to push back Sunni militants, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

Iran has held out the prospect of working with the United States to help restore security in Iraq.

Tal Afar had been defended by an unit of Iraq's security forces commanded by a Shi'ite major general, Abu Walid, whose men were among the few holdouts from the government's forces in the province around Mosul not to flee the rapid ISIL advance.

After sweeping through towns in the Tigris valley north of Baghdad, ISIL fighters appear to have halted their advance outside the capital, instead moving to tighten their grip on the north.

Most of the inhabitants of Tal Afar are members of the Turkmen ethnic group, who speak a Turkic language. Turkey has expressed concern about their security.

The Turkmen and other residents of Tal Afar are divided among Sunnis and Shi'ites in a part of Iraq with a complex ethnic and sectarian mixture. The city is just outside Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, whose own security forces have taken advantage of the collapse of government control to advance into the city of Kirkuk and rural areas with oil deposits.

ISIL fighters aim to establish a caliphate on both sides of the Syria-Iraqi frontier based on strict medieval Sunni Muslim precepts. Their advance has been assisted by other Sunni Muslim armed groups.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said he is reviewing military options, short of sending troops, to combat the insurgency.

The Pentagon said in a statement that a small number of defense personal "are augmenting State Department security assets in Baghdad to help ensure the safety of our facilities."

A U.S. military official said fewer than 100 people would be involved, including Marines and other soldiers.

The vast mission is the largest and most expensive embassy ever built anywhere in the world, a vestige of the days when the United States had 170,000 troops in Iraq battling to put down a sectarian civil war that followed its invasion.

Iraq now faces the prospect of similarly vicious warfare, but this time with no U.S. forces on the ground to intervene. Its million-strong army, trained and armed by Washington at a cost of around $25 billion, has been plagued by corruption, poor morale and a perception it pursues Shi'ite sectarian interests.

'CRAZY FIGHTING'

Residents in Tal Afar said Shi'ite police and troops rocketed Sunni neighborhoods before the ISIL forces moved in and finally captured the city. A member of Maliki's security committee told Reuters government forces had attacked ISIL positions on the outskirts of the city with helicopters.

"The situation is disastrous in Tal Afar. There is crazy fighting and most families are trapped inside houses, they can’t leave town," a local official said on Sunday before the city was overrun. "If the fighting continues, a mass killing among civilians could result."

Shi'ites, who form the majority in Iraq and are based mainly in the south, have rallied to defend the country, with thousands of volunteers turning out to join the security forces after a mobilization call by the top Shi'ite cleric. Maliki's security forces and allied militias regained some territory on Saturday.

In Baghdad on Sunday, a suicide attacker detonated explosives in a vest he was wearing, killing at least nine people and wounding 20 in a crowded street in the center of the capital, police and medical sources said.

At least six people were killed, including three soldiers and three volunteers, when four mortars landed at a recruiting center in Khalis, one of the last big towns in government hands north of the capital, 50 km (30 miles) north of Baghdad.

Volunteers were being gathered by the army to join fighting to regain control of the nearby town of Udhaim.

ISIL fought as al Qaeda's Iraq branch against U.S. forces during the years of American occupation in Iraq, but broke away from al Qaeda after joining the civil war in Syria. It now says the group founded by Osama bin Laden is not extreme enough.

In years of fighting on both sides of the frontier, ISIL has gained a reputation for shocking brutality. It considers Shi'ites to be heretics deserving of death and sends bombers daily to kill hundreds of Iraqi civilians each month.

A series of pictures distributed on a purported ISIL Twitter account appeared to show gunmen from the Islamist group shooting dozens of men, unarmed and lying prone on the ground.

Captions accompanying the pictures said they showed hundreds of army deserters who were captured as they tried to flee the fighting. They were shown being transported in the back of trucks and led to an open field where they were laid down in rows and shot by several masked gunmen. In several pictures, the black Islamist ISIL flag can be seen.

Most of the captured men were wearing civilian clothes, although one picture showed two men in military camouflage trousers, one of them half covered by a pair of ordinary trousers.

"This is the fate of the Shi'ites which Nuri brought to fight the Sunnis," a caption to one of the pictures reads. Others showed ISIL fighters apparently seizing facilities in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, which they captured on Wednesday.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the pictures.

Across the border, a Syrian government air raid hit near ISIL's headquarters in the eastern city of Raqqa, Syrian activists said.

The only Syrian provincial capital in insurgent hands, Raqqa has been a major base for ISIL since the group evicted rival rebels, including al Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, during infighting this year.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said warplanes targeted the governorate building, a large structure in the center of town, as well as two other buildings, including a sharia, or Islamic law, court.

The fighting in Iraq is by far the worst since U.S. troops pulled out in 2011. U.S. President Barack Obama has come under fire at home for failing to do more to bolster Baghdad.

While expressing support for Maliki's government, the United States has stressed the need for a political solution to the crisis. Maliki's opponents accuse him of sidelining Sunnis, which fuelled resentment that fed the insurgency.

Secretary of State John Kerry told Iraq's foreign minister in a call on Saturday that U.S. assistance would only succeed if Iraqi leaders set aside their differences and forged the national unity needed to confront the insurgent threat.

The United States ordered an aircraft carrier moved into the Gulf on Saturday, readying it in case Washington decides to pursue a military option. (Full Story)

Oil prices have risen to the highest level this year over fears of the violence disrupting exports from the OPEC member.

As ISIS continues its brutal advance after boasting of capturing and killing 1,400 Iraqi soldiers the U.S. evacuates its Baghdad embassy and calls on Iran and other regional powers to launch coordinated response to escalating violence 

• U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyers sent to the Persian Gulf
• Republicans blame attacks on Obama's decision to withdraw troops from Iraq in 2011
• After taking Mosul, Islamic militants are believed to be heading to Baghdad
• Iranian special forces are also streaming in to bolster capital's defenses
• Sunni Muslims are returning to Mosul after ISIS 'liberation' of the city
• Shiite Muslims are staying away and are going to camps in Kurdish areas

Daily Mail,

15 June, 2014

As Islamic militants continue their bloody march across Iraq, the Obama administration announced plans for an unlikely allegiance with Iran as a way to provide a coordinated response to the violence. 

The U.S. has also taken steps to increase security at its embassy in Baghdad, and has airlifted many of the 5,500 staff members to safer locations in surrounding regions after reports that about 12,000 militants were headed to the capital.

The planned talks with Iran came as ISIS - the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria - released pictures of what was claimed to be a mass killing of Iraqi soldiers captured as militants took over two Iraqi cities last week.

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ISIS forces are said to have killed 1,400 of the 4,000 prisoners they are holding - nearly all of them Iraqi Army soldiers who surrendered when the militants took Mosul

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The heavily fortified U.S. Embassy has about 5,500 employees - many are being relocated, but the majority are staying in Iraq for the time being

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Volunteers: Thousands of Shiite Iraqis have taken up arms and vowed to fight alongside the Iraqi army to defend Baghdad from the ISIS militants, who are largely Sunni Muslims

The army of militants shocked the world on Saturday by releasing horrific video of what it claimed were dozens of Iraqi soldiers they had taken as prisoners. Reports have emerged that they summarily executed 1,400 of the men. 

Pictures posted on a militant website appear to show masked ISIS fighters forcing captives to lie down in a shallow ditch. Further photos appear to show the bodies of the men soaked in blood after being shot.

Captions claimed the killings were to avenge the death of ISIS commander Abdul-Rahman al-Beilawy, the Associated Press reported. Al-Beilawy's death was reported by ISIS and the Iraqi government shortly before the Islamist group seized control of Mosul and Tikrit, hometown of former dictator Saddam Hussein, in a lightning offensive

Iraq's top military spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassim al-Moussawi has confirmed the photos' authenticity and said he was aware of cases of mass murder of captured Iraqi soldiers in areas held by ISIS. The images have yet to be confirmed as being authentic by Western officials.

Most of the soldiers who appear in the pictures are in civilian clothes. Some are shown wearing military uniforms underneath, indicating they may have hastily disguised themselves as civilians to try to escape.

'This is the fate of the Shi'ites which Nuri [al-Maliki, Iraq's president] brought to fight the Sunnis,' a caption to one of the pictures reads. 

Others showed ISIS fighters apparently seizing facilities in Tikrit.

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ISIS militants with captured Iraqi soldiers, who were wearing civilian clothes, after taking over a base in Tikrit, Iraq

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The soldiers were forced to lie face-down in flat bed trucks before being driven to the spot where they were allegedly killed

The grisly images could further sharpen sectarian tensions as hundreds of Shiites heed a call from a spiritual leader to take up arms against the Sunni militants that have swept across the north. 

The shocking and rapid spread of violence across Iraq has led to the U.S. and Iran publicly announcing they will send military support if it is requested, the Wall Street Journal reported.

It is not clear how talks with Iran, which refers to the U.S. as the 'Great Satan', would take place, and other countries have expressed concern that any deal could damage negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program.

On Saturday, Iran's President Rouhani confirmed that he was willing to take part in talks and claimed to have had written correspondence with Obama.

'When the U.S. takes action, then one can think about cooperation. Until today, no specific request for help has been demanded. But we are ready to help within international law.'

The Obama administration is pushing for a coordinated response to the violence from Iran and other governments in the regions, and Secretary of State John Kerry has been in telephone talks with his Iraqi counterpart

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The captives are herded by the armed men. Iraq's military spokesman, Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, confirmed the photos' authenticity today and said he was aware of cases of mass murder of captured soldiers

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The soldiers seconds before they are killed. UN human rights chief Navi Pillay warned of 'murder of all kinds' in Iraq

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The soldiers are forced into a shallow ditch by a line of armed men

An Iranian politician told the Wall Street Journal that the talks offered the chance for Tehran to improve relations with the West.

'Some of us realize that is the best opportunity for Iran to improve its diplomatic relations with the U.S.,' the politician, who requested anonymity, said.

Concerns have been raised that if the U.S. and Iran were drawn into a joint military strategy, their differing views on the future for Iraq could be problematic.

'This is a case where the enemy of our enemy is still our enemy. Any shared interests in Iraq are limited,' an American defense official said.

The West's preparation for action came as ISIS vowed to take the battle to Baghdad and cities further south housing many Shiite shrines. 

Reports that members of the ISIS were heading to Baghdad, which has had an escalation of car bomb attacks in recent weeks, led to increased security at the U.S. embassy, which is in the heavily-fortified Green Zone in Baghdad. 

The New York Times reported that American officials were keeping the Embassy open for now and that moving staff was a temporary precaution.

'Overall, a substantial majority of the U.S. Embassy presence in Iraq will remain in place and the embassy will be fully equipped to carry out its national security mission,' State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

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A picture circulated by jihadists shows ISIS militants standing next to captured vehicles left behind by Iraqi security forces at an unknown location, thought to be Tikrit, the home town of Saddam Hussein

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Militants in a captured vehicle. ISIS has vowed to take the battle to Baghdad and cities further south housing many Shiite shrines, sparking a international response bringing the U.S. and Iran on to the same side

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An ISIS militant waves the black flag of the Islamist group as his comrades ride past in a pick up truck that appears to be carrying captured soldiers

Some embassy staff members have been temporarily moved elsewhere to more stable places at consulates in Basra in the Shiite-dominated south of Iraq and Irbil in the Kurdish semi-autonomous region in northeastern Iraq and to Jordan, she said.

'Due to the relocation of personnel from Baghdad, the embassy will only be restricted in its ability to offer all consular services; but emergency services are always available to U.S. citizens in need at any embassy or consulate anywhere in the world,' Psaki said, as she warned Americans to limit travel in the region.

Many American contractors, such as those training Iraq's military and police forces, have already pulled their personnel out of the country after fighters, who are predominantly Sunni Muslims - a large minority in Iraq - took Mosul, the country's second-largest city.

The group's progress has slowed as they approach the capital - and thousands of Iraqis have begun taking up arms and volunteering to fight alongside the Iraqi army to defend Baghdad.

Hundreds of Shiite men attended recruitment centers in Baghdad on Sunday, to be armed in response to a call by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for Iraqis to defend their country.

The declining situation in Iraq has led many senior Republicans to criticize Obama's foreign policy, claiming that the escalation of violence was due, in part, to not keeping an American troop presence in the country

Couldn't find anything much in the main Australian papers about this

Australia withdraws embassy staff in Iraq as Islamic fighters bear down on Baghdad
“We are unlikely to be able to provide consular assistance in Iraq at the current time.'

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said the Australian embassy can offer limited help to the 90-plus Australians still in Iraq

DailyMail,

16 June, 2014

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said the Australian embassy can offer limited help to the 90-plus Australians still in Iraq

Islamic militants, spearheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadist group, have taken over a swathe of territory in northern Iraq in an offensive that has brought fighting to within 80km of the capital.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said an 'essential core' of embassy staff will remain in place but they will be limited in what they can do for the estimated 90-plus Australians in Iraq.

'Due to the very challenging security environment we are unlikely to be able to provide the level of consular assistance that might be expected,' she told ABC radio.

The Iraqi government on Sunday said it had 'regained the initiative' against the militants, claiming to have killed 279 'terrorists' in the previous 24 hours.

Ms Bishop described the situation as very volatile and said it could deteriorate further with little warning.

'But we certainly strongly support the Iraqi government's ongoing efforts to counter this terrorism that's taking place within its borders,' she said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said Australia will wait for a US decision before developing a response on Iraq but Ms Bishop has played down the likelihood of sending Australian troops.