Iraq

Kosovo arrests three for terrorism, alleged connections with ISIL

The Sumerian materials discovered in a box in Ur are on display. AP photo

Iran is ready to help Iraq fight an armed revolt using the same methods it deployed against opposition forces in Syria, an Iranian general said, suggesting Tehran is offering to take a larger role in battling Sunni militias threatening Baghdad.

An independent Kurdish state was a reason for war in the past, however the situation has changed, according to Hüseyin Çelik, spokesperson for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

A jihadist group in Syria has publicly executed and crucified eight rebels fighting both President Bashar al-Assad's regime and the jihadists, a monitor said on June 29.

Iraq said it received the first batch of Sukhoi warplanes from Russia as it pressed a counter-attack June 29 against Sunni militants whose offensive threatens to tear the country apart.

Secretary of State John Kerry signaled on Friday that the U.S. hopes to enlist moderate Syrian opposition fighters that the Obama administration has reluctantly decided to arm and train in the battle against militant extremists in neighboring Iraq.

A Texas man pleaded guilty on Friday of attempting to provide support and resources to a Middle Eastern foreign terrorist organization as part of a federal undercover operation, U.S. prosecutors said.

Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, paid a one-day visit to Ankara on June 26, upon the invitation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to discuss in detail the developments in the whole of Iraq.
  

The West’s Syria policy could be best summarized in Sarah Palin’s words: “Let God sort it out.” That the U.S. forwarded the issue to God has not only helped Bashar al-Assad, but also the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) to enhance their sphere of influence.