ISIL militants seize more Iraq towns

[Zarvan]

New

• 

  
  In this photo taken Saturday, militants from the Al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) patrol in Fallujah, 65 kilometers west of Baghdad. Sunni militants have seized another town in Iraq's western Anbar province, the fourth to fall in two days, officials said Sunday, in what is shaping up to be a major offensive in one of Iraq's most restive regions. (AP Photo)​

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Published — Sunday 22 June 2014

Last update 22 June 2014 6:06 pm​

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BAGHDAD: Sunni militants advanced through west Iraq after seizing a strategic Syria border crossing, as US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the region Sunday aiming to bridge widening rifts.
The latest assaults saw the security forces making “tactical” withdrawals in the face of an insurgent onslaught that has displaced hundreds of thousands and alarmed the world amid fears Iraq could tear itself apart.
The militants, led by the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), seized the towns of Rawa and Ana after taking the Al-Qaim border crossing on Saturday, residents said.
The government said its forces had made a “tactical” withdrawal from the towns, control of which has allowed the militants to open up a strategic route to neighboring Syria, where they also control swathes of countryside along the Euphrates river valley.
ISIL aims to create an Islamic state carved out from Iraq and Syria, where the group has become a major force in the rebellion against President Bashar Assad.
Washington is urging Arab states to bring pressure on Iraq’s leaders to speed up government formation, which has made little headway since elections in April.
While American leaders have stopped short of calling for Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki to step down — arguing that it is up to the Iraqis to choose their own leaders — they have left little doubt that they feel the Shiite premier has squandered the opportunity to rebuild his country since US troops withdrew in 2011.
“We gave Iraq the chance to have an inclusive democracy. To work across sectarian lines, to provide a better future for their children,” President Barack Obama told CNN Friday.
“Unfortunately what we’ve seen is a breakdown of trust.”
The seizure of Al-Qaim leaves just one of three official border crossings with Syria in the hands of the federal government. The third is controlled by Kurdish forces.
Anti-government fighters already hold areas of the western desert province of Anbar, which abuts the Syrian border, after taking all of one city and parts of another earlier in the year.
Elsewhere, Iraqi government forces, fighting back against the insurgents after initially wilting before their onslaught, launched an air strike Sunday on the militant-held city of Tikrit, killing at least seven people, residents of the city said.
The insurgents also clashed with security forces and pro-government tribal fighters in Al-Alam, just east of Tikrit, with militants killing the women’s affairs adviser to the provincial governor.
The firefight, which began Saturday evening, continued into Sunday.
The fighting came as Kerry landed in Cairo on a trip to the Middle East and Europe, with the US aiming to unite Iraq’s fractious leaders and repel the militants.
America’s top diplomat was also due to visit Amman, Brussels and Paris, where Washington is also expected to push for greater efforts to cut off funding to ISIL.
“First and foremost, we are urging countries that have diplomatic dealings with Iraq and that are in the region to take that threat as seriously as we do,” a senior State Department official said.
“Second, we are underscoring the need for Iraqi leaders to expedite their government formation process and to come together around a new government that is inclusive.”
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also noted that “a lot of the funding and support that has over a long period of time fueled extremism inside Iraq has flowed into Iraq from its neighbors.”
While Kerry is also expected to travel to Iraq for his second visit since taking over as secretary of state in early 2013, it was not known when he would do so.
Washington had initially favored Maliki when he first became prime minister in 2006 as he was seen to be cracking down on Shiite militias while reaching out to Sunni leaders.
But in recent months, he has made what critics say are increasingly sectarian moves, triggering calls from US leaders for him to represent all Iraqi people, particularly minority Sunni Arabs and Kurds.
US President Barack Obama has offered to send up to 300 military advisers back to Iraq, but has so far not backed air strikes that have been requested by Baghdad.
UN aid agencies said they were rushing supplies to Iraq to help more than one million people displaced by the latest violence and unrest earlier this year.​

 

[rockstar08]

this is so not good

 

[Jf Thunder]

k

 

[Zarvan]

ISIS takes key border town in Iraq​

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: ISIS controls 70% of key western province, security officials say
• NEW: Army spokesman says troops conducted "strategic withdrawals" in places
• Several Sunni tribes are supporting ISIS in Anbar province
• One town under ISIS control is just 100 kilometers outside Baghdad

​

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- A strategic border crossing and three other towns in western Iraq fell Saturday to the control of ISIS militants, a senior Iraqi security official said.​

In addition to their offensives in northern Iraq, the militants have strengthened their hand in the western province of Anbar, the country's largest geographically, and were controlling Qaim, Rawa, Ana and Husaybah, said the senior official, who's based in Anbar.​

In all, the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, or ISIS, controlled more than 70% of Anbar province, two security officials in the province told CNN.​

Most importantly, ISIS controlled the strategic town of Qaim on the border with Syria, where the enemy fighters enjoy a stronghold, Iraqi security officials said Saturday.​

Together, the four towns are situated along a highway from Syria to Baghdad, heightening possibilities that the militants could now march from the west to lay siege to the Iraqi capital. One of the four towns, Husaybah, is just 100 kilometers (60 miles) outside Baghdad.​

Iraqi Shias show force in weapons parade​

​

Iraq: Six things you need to know​

​

Secret video of ISIS smuggled out of Iraq​

​

Iraqi Christians living in fear of ISIS​

​

CNN's Nic Robertson says fighters from Syria are capable of reaching the outskirts of Baghdad in less than four hours.​

Local tribes who had sided with ISIS told soldiers in Anbar to put down their weapons, change into civilian clothes and go home.​

Iraq's military withdrew overnight from Haditha, which is the site of the largest hydroelectric plant in Anbar. The plant is vital to the province's water supply.​

Local tribal leaders considered friendly to the Iraqi army took over security for the town, but officials believe it will fall to ISIS, said the officials, who are not authorized to speak to the media.​

Iraq's military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, told reporters there was a "strategic withdrawal" in some areas in Iraq, but didn't say whether these locations were in Anbar province.​

He said the withdrawals were part of a campaign to "open all these fronts so we can strengthen our positions."​

READ MORE: What is ISIS -- and what does it want?​

Since clashes erupted Friday in Qaim, at least 11 Iraqi soldiers have been killed and 21 more have been wounded. Also, at least 20 militants were killed after Iraqi forces shelled areas from which the extremists launched attacks, two security officials in Ramadi told CNN.​

Qaim sits across from Syria's Deir Ezzor province, where ISIS controls at least three towns, including areas near the military airport of Deir Ezzor, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group in London that monitors the Syrian conflict.​

Why Qaim is important​

"This advancement (in Syria) is considered a very important and strategic step because ISIS has tried to take a complete control over areas in the east of Deir Ezzor in order to reach to the Syrian-Iraqi borders, and then to connect its held areas in both Syria and Iraq with each other," the opposition group said.​

Across the border from Qaim is the Syrian town of Al-Bukamal, which is under the control of other Islamist brigades such as the al-Nusra Front, said Rami Abdulrahman of SOHR. ISIS doesn't control that town, he added Saturday.​

Photos: Iraq under siege​

​

Mass exodus tears Iraqi families apart​

​

What will U.S. 'advisers' do in Iraq?​

​

Militants capture chemical weapons plant​

​

Iraqi forces were fighting the suspected ISIS militants on at least two fronts.​

They discovered dozens of militants on the Syrian side of the border, security officials said.​

Support by some Sunni tribesmen for ISIS is proving pivotal in the militants' success, a senior security official in Ramadi told CNN. If the Sunni tribes do not decide to help and support Iraqi security forces, it will be very difficult for Iraqi forces to regain full control of Qaim, the senior official said.​

In the meantime, Iraqi forces were waiting for more troops to arrive in Qaim, located about 500 kilometers (300 miles) west of Baghdad.​

Shiite show of force​

Iraq has a long history of brutality between Sunni and Shiite sects, and on Saturday, a warning of renewed conflict between Shiites and the Sunnis supporting ISIS emerged on the streets of Baghdad, where thousands of Shiite militiamen marched in a rally.​

The show of force, called a parade, was organized by prominent Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who urged unity in Iraq in its fight against ISIS.​

The thousands of Shiites wore various security forces' uniforms in the march in Baghdad's Sadr City, a predominantly Shiite area in the eastern part of the Iraqi capital.​

They carried rifles, rocket launchers and rocket-propelled grenades.​

On the street, they also did a demonstration on planting roadside bombs, with the armor-piercing bombs hoisted on their shoulders. Those bombs -- Iranian-designed, electronically formed projectiles -- were the scourge of the U.S. war in Iraq during the 2000s.​

Even women joined the march, dressed in black and holding handguns.​

Only a few years ago, the Shiite militiamen were fighting U.S. forces on the same Baghdad streets.​

On Saturday, they demonstrated their readiness for the ISIS fighters.​

"ISIS is a terrorist organization created by the United States. They are the enemy of humanity," said one participant who identified himself as a former army colonel. "We are here to free the land for all Sunni and Shiite and everyone."​

Another militiaman said he didn't welcome U.S. military advisers, who are expected to arrrive soon to help the government.​

"We don't need airstrikes or any external force helping us here," the volunteer said. "We don't want these American military advisers."​

A Shiite cleric blamed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for Iraq's latest instability, even though his government favors Shiites.​

"The main cause of the security deterioration is the bad management of the Prime Minister," the cleric said. "Al-Maliki must leave and resign."​

Falluja fighting, Baghdad bombings​

Elsewhere in Iraq's western Anbar province, Iraqi security forces killed 15 "terrorists" and destroyed four vehicles on Saturday afternoon in Falluja, said Iraqiya State TV, citing security officials.​

Falluja has been under control of ISIS militants and Sunni tribesmen since January. It's about 60 kilometers west of Baghdad, and Iraqi forces have so far blocked the militants from marching on the nation's capital.​

The militants in Falluja have been trying to take over Sunni areas close to Baghdad, such as Abu Ghraib and small villages close by, Ramadi security officials told CNN.​

Abu Ghraib is a largely Sunni area in the western outskirts of the capital.​

Despite the government effort to protect Baghdad, several bomb attacks occurred across the capital city, killing at least seven people and wounding 32 more, officials said Saturday.​

U.S. advisers due to arrive in Iraq soon​

The Iraqi government was waiting for the initial group of U.S. military advisers to arrive in Iraq soon, a senior defense official said, as crowds paraded nationwide in a show of unity for the government.​

This first detail is expected to be very small, the official said. The total number of U.S. military advisers who will eventually deploy will be about 300.​

In addition, some U.S. military personnel already at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will be reassigned and become advisers, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.​

The first group of advisers will conduct an initial assessment of Iraqi troop capabilities and of what may be needed for a larger group of U.S. advisers, including additional security measures where they may be deployed, a senior defense official said Friday.​

Although Iraq's government was eager for the U.S. help, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Sunday that he "strongly opposes" U.S. military intervention, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.​

Refugee crisis​

More than 1 million Iraqis have fled their homes this year because of conflict, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday. The number is likely to rise as Islamist militants and Iraqi security forces battle for control.​

An estimated 800,000 people left Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul after it fell to fighters from ISIS, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The city has a population of 1.6 million.​

ISIS, born from an al Qaeda splinter group and supported by Sunni factions, continues its fierce advance in Iraq.​

Al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government is accused of fostering sectarian tensions by marginalizing Iraq's Sunni Arab and Kurd minorities.​

U.S. President Barack Obama told CNN on Friday that U.S. military efforts are pointless without a change in government.​

"If we don't see Sunni, Shia and Kurd representation in the military command structure, if we don't see Sunni, Shia and Kurd political support for what we're doing, we won't do it," he said.​

The complete interview will be aired Monday on CNN's "New Day."​

The United States withdrew its final troops from Iraq in 2011, nearly nine years after leading the invasion that ousted longtime leader Saddam Hussein.​

READ MORE: More than 1 million Iraqis flee homes since ISIS​

READ MORE: "No solution" if Iraqi political structure not fixed​

READ MORE: As ISIS advances toward Baghdad, call for fighting volunteers​

CNN's Nic Robertson and Nima Elbagir contributed from Baghdad, and Arwa Damon from Irbil, Iraq. Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed from Atlanta. Michael Martinez wrote from Los Angeles.

this is so not good

No body on earth can stop it specially when your government are mostly involved in all un islamic actions this is bound to happen

 

[$@rJen]

What happened to the civilian army of Iraq??? I heard Iraq dispatched around 50 thousand to fight the ISIL who are 3 to 5 thousand strong

 

[mahatir]

What happened to the civilian army of Iraq??? I heard Iraq dispatched around 50 thousand to fight the ISIL who are 3 to 5 thousand strong

They lack motivation and essential training to fight ISIL

 

[Jf Thunder]

they were better off with Saddam Hussain

 

[HAIDER]

ISIL has support of ex saddam boys. They are well trained soldier and fought long war as compared to newly born Iraqi army has lots of issue. Sunni factions of army has no will to fight against ISIL , they are supporting them and Shia faction of Iraqi army are bunch of rookies and not properly trained. Plus Iraqi govt has lot of corruption and lack of nationalism is the biggest issue ...

 

[rockstar08]

ISIS takes key border town in Iraq
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
​

• 
  
  
  • NEW: ISIS controls 70% of key western province, security officials say
  • NEW: Army spokesman says troops conducted "strategic withdrawals" in places
  • Several Sunni tribes are supporting ISIS in Anbar province
  • One town under ISIS control is just 100 kilometers outside Baghdad

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- A strategic border crossing and three other towns in western Iraq fell Saturday to the control of ISIS militants, a senior Iraqi security official said.​

In addition to their offensives in northern Iraq, the militants have strengthened their hand in the western province of Anbar, the country's largest geographically, and were controlling Qaim, Rawa, Ana and Husaybah, said the senior official, who's based in Anbar.
In all, the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, or ISIS, controlled more than 70% of Anbar province, two security officials in the province told CNN.
Most importantly, ISIS controlled the strategic town of Qaim on the border with Syria, where the enemy fighters enjoy a stronghold, Iraqi security officials said Saturday.
Together, the four towns are situated along a highway from Syria to Baghdad, heightening possibilities that the militants could now march from the west to lay siege to the Iraqi capital. One of the four towns, Husaybah, is just 100 kilometers (60 miles) outside Baghdad.​

Iraqi Shias show force in weapons parade​

Iraq: Six things you need to know​

Secret video of ISIS smuggled out of Iraq​

Iraqi Christians living in fear of ISIS​

CNN's Nic Robertson says fighters from Syria are capable of reaching the outskirts of Baghdad in less than four hours.​

Local tribes who had sided with ISIS told soldiers in Anbar to put down their weapons, change into civilian clothes and go home.
Iraq's military withdrew overnight from Haditha, which is the site of the largest hydroelectric plant in Anbar. The plant is vital to the province's water supply.
Local tribal leaders considered friendly to the Iraqi army took over security for the town, but officials believe it will fall to ISIS, said the officials, who are not authorized to speak to the media.
Iraq's military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, told reporters there was a "strategic withdrawal" in some areas in Iraq, but didn't say whether these locations were in Anbar province.
He said the withdrawals were part of a campaign to "open all these fronts so we can strengthen our positions."
READ MORE: What is ISIS -- and what does it want?​

Since clashes erupted Friday in Qaim, at least 11 Iraqi soldiers have been killed and 21 more have been wounded. Also, at least 20 militants were killed after Iraqi forces shelled areas from which the extremists launched attacks, two security officials in Ramadi told CNN.​

Qaim sits across from Syria's Deir Ezzor province, where ISIS controls at least three towns, including areas near the military airport of Deir Ezzor, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition group in London that monitors the Syrian conflict.
Why Qaim is important
"This advancement (in Syria) is considered a very important and strategic step because ISIS has tried to take a complete control over areas in the east of Deir Ezzor in order to reach to the Syrian-Iraqi borders, and then to connect its held areas in both Syria and Iraq with each other," the opposition group said.
Across the border from Qaim is the Syrian town of Al-Bukamal, which is under the control of other Islamist brigades such as the al-Nusra Front, said Rami Abdulrahman of SOHR. ISIS doesn't control that town, he added Saturday.​

Photos: Iraq under siege​

Mass exodus tears Iraqi families apart​

What will U.S. 'advisers' do in Iraq?​

Militants capture chemical weapons plant​

Iraqi forces were fighting the suspected ISIS militants on at least two fronts.​

They discovered dozens of militants on the Syrian side of the border, security officials said.
Support by some Sunni tribesmen for ISIS is proving pivotal in the militants' success, a senior security official in Ramadi told CNN. If the Sunni tribes do not decide to help and support Iraqi security forces, it will be very difficult for Iraqi forces to regain full control of Qaim, the senior official said.
In the meantime, Iraqi forces were waiting for more troops to arrive in Qaim, located about 500 kilometers (300 miles) west of Baghdad.
Shiite show of force
Iraq has a long history of brutality between Sunni and Shiite sects, and on Saturday, a warning of renewed conflict between Shiites and the Sunnis supporting ISIS emerged on the streets of Baghdad, where thousands of Shiite militiamen marched in a rally.
The show of force, called a parade, was organized by prominent Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who urged unity in Iraq in its fight against ISIS.
The thousands of Shiites wore various security forces' uniforms in the march in Baghdad's Sadr City, a predominantly Shiite area in the eastern part of the Iraqi capital.
They carried rifles, rocket launchers and rocket-propelled grenades.
On the street, they also did a demonstration on planting roadside bombs, with the armor-piercing bombs hoisted on their shoulders. Those bombs -- Iranian-designed, electronically formed projectiles -- were the scourge of the U.S. war in Iraq during the 2000s.
Even women joined the march, dressed in black and holding handguns.
Only a few years ago, the Shiite militiamen were fighting U.S. forces on the same Baghdad streets.
On Saturday, they demonstrated their readiness for the ISIS fighters.
"ISIS is a terrorist organization created by the United States. They are the enemy of humanity," said one participant who identified himself as a former army colonel. "We are here to free the land for all Sunni and Shiite and everyone."
Another militiaman said he didn't welcome U.S. military advisers, who are expected to arrrive soon to help the government.
"We don't need airstrikes or any external force helping us here," the volunteer said. "We don't want these American military advisers."
A Shiite cleric blamed Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for Iraq's latest instability, even though his government favors Shiites.
"The main cause of the security deterioration is the bad management of the Prime Minister," the cleric said. "Al-Maliki must leave and resign."
Falluja fighting, Baghdad bombings
Elsewhere in Iraq's western Anbar province, Iraqi security forces killed 15 "terrorists" and destroyed four vehicles on Saturday afternoon in Falluja, said Iraqiya State TV, citing security officials.
Falluja has been under control of ISIS militants and Sunni tribesmen since January. It's about 60 kilometers west of Baghdad, and Iraqi forces have so far blocked the militants from marching on the nation's capital.
The militants in Falluja have been trying to take over Sunni areas close to Baghdad, such as Abu Ghraib and small villages close by, Ramadi security officials told CNN.
Abu Ghraib is a largely Sunni area in the western outskirts of the capital.
Despite the government effort to protect Baghdad, several bomb attacks occurred across the capital city, killing at least seven people and wounding 32 more, officials said Saturday.
U.S. advisers due to arrive in Iraq soon
The Iraqi government was waiting for the initial group of U.S. military advisers to arrive in Iraq soon, a senior defense official said, as crowds paraded nationwide in a show of unity for the government.
This first detail is expected to be very small, the official said. The total number of U.S. military advisers who will eventually deploy will be about 300.
In addition, some U.S. military personnel already at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will be reassigned and become advisers, Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
The first group of advisers will conduct an initial assessment of Iraqi troop capabilities and of what may be needed for a larger group of U.S. advisers, including additional security measures where they may be deployed, a senior defense official said Friday.
Although Iraq's government was eager for the U.S. help, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Sunday that he "strongly opposes" U.S. military intervention, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Refugee crisis
More than 1 million Iraqis have fled their homes this year because of conflict, the United Nations refugee agency said Friday. The number is likely to rise as Islamist militants and Iraqi security forces battle for control.
An estimated 800,000 people left Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul after it fell to fighters from ISIS, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The city has a population of 1.6 million.
ISIS, born from an al Qaeda splinter group and supported by Sunni factions, continues its fierce advance in Iraq.
Al-Maliki's Shiite-dominated government is accused of fostering sectarian tensions by marginalizing Iraq's Sunni Arab and Kurd minorities.
U.S. President Barack Obama told CNN on Friday that U.S. military efforts are pointless without a change in government.
"If we don't see Sunni, Shia and Kurd representation in the military command structure, if we don't see Sunni, Shia and Kurd political support for what we're doing, we won't do it," he said.
The complete interview will be aired Monday on CNN's "New Day."
The United States withdrew its final troops from Iraq in 2011, nearly nine years after leading the invasion that ousted longtime leader Saddam Hussein.
READ MORE: More than 1 million Iraqis flee homes since ISIS​

READ MORE: "No solution" if Iraqi political structure not fixed
READ MORE: As ISIS advances toward Baghdad, call for fighting volunteers​

CNN's Nic Robertson and Nima Elbagir contributed from Baghdad, and Arwa Damon from Irbil, Iraq. Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed from Atlanta. Michael Martinez wrote from Los Angeles.


No body on earth can stop it specially when your government are mostly involved in all un islamic actions this is bound to happen

i agree with you no body can stop this down fall of islam ... cause i know what Prophet Muhammad Pbuh has said about muslims ... so let them fight and die ..

 

[Zarvan]

i agree with you no body can stop this down fall of islam ... cause i know what Prophet Muhammad Pbuh has said about muslims ... so let them fight and die ..

The Rise of Islam Mr downfall is over yes rise will take lot of blood and time too and mistakes and blunders will be made but it will take place

 

[mike2000]

ahahaahahhaha, the iraqi army trained and supplied by the U.S/west laid down its arms again and ran for its life.
I cant believe this, the U.S surely messed up this country, im afraid to say it, but the country was better off with Saddam. we just made things worst. Now Iraq will never be the same again.
Anyway i just find it funny how the iraqi army who was trained and supplied by the U.S just crumbles/run away when faced with a tough opponent. Same happened with the south Vietnamese when the U.S Left.

 

[rockstar08]

The Rise of Islam Mr downfall is over yes rise will take lot of blood and time too and mistakes and blunders will be made but it will take place

different way of thinking to me its down fall of islam , special thanks taliban , TTP , ISIL , Al-qaeda and their jihadi brothers

 

[my2cents]

Looks like Iraq is going to be ruled by Sunni organization ISIS. I don't have confidence in this Maliki govt. to contain the insurgents.

 

[IndoUS]

It seems that the Iraqi government and army has pretty much given up hope for the western parts of the country they are digging down to fight at Baghdad (atleast that what the news are saying).

 

[Zarvan]

different way of thinking to me its down fall of islam , special thanks taliban , TTP , ISIL , Al-qaeda and their jihadi brothers

Different ways existed among Sahabas too Mr and when states run away from duty of Jihad than these groups emerge if our states have taken back Kashmir and Palestine and other areas by using Armies these groups wouldn't have emerged you failed and they took advantage