Gottesstaat wächst: ISIL eröffnet Terrorzelle in Jordanien

KRONEN ZEITUNG: Die Terrorgruppe Islamischer Staat im Irak und in der Levante (ISIL) hat nach eigenen Angaben seinen ersten Zweig in Jordanien eröffnet. Das meldeten islamistische Quellen, nachdem das jordanische Militär am Montag bekannt gegeben hatte, seine Truppen an der Grenze zum Nachbarland Irak zu verdoppeln.

Laut den ISIL- Quellen ist der jordanische Ableger bereits am Freitag eingerichtet worden. Die Zelle "Islamischer Staat in Jordanien" (ISJ) solle logistisch bei Waffen- und Truppenverschiebungen zwischen dem Irak und Syrien dienen. Sie soll rund 200 Mitglieder haben.

Ein ISJ- Mitglied verbreitete, es seien zunächst keine militärischen Aktionen gegen die jordanische Armee geplant. Aber "mit der Zeit" werde "Jordanien egal auf welchem Wege ein Teil des islamischen Kalifats", das ISIL in der Region anstrebt. » | AG/red | Montag, 16. Juni 2014

Bagdad attend avec angoisse l'assaut des djihadistes

De nouvelles recrues de l'armée irakienne paradent
dans une rue de Bagdad, samedi.

LE FIGARO: INFO LE FIGARO - La population de la capitale chiite irakienne se terre ou s'arme, en redoutant que des attentats préparent une offensive.

Dans la salle d'attente de l'hôpital Raphaël, au centre de Bagdad, Youssef fait comme si de rien n'était. «Pour l'instant, la situation est calme. Mais on est inquiet, on ne sait pas ce qui va se passer. On ne peut qu'attendre», confie ce jeune cadre, plutôt angoissé.

Comme lui, beaucoup d'habitants de la capitale, où le couvre-feu a été étendu de 22 heures à 6 heures du matin, retiennent leur souffle. Ils ont eu très peur de la fulgurante avancée des extrémistes sunnites, la semaine dernière dans les provinces du Nord. Ils ont maintenant le sentiment qu'un répit leur a été accordé avec la contre-offensive de l'armée régulière, qui contient les rebelles au nord de la capitale. Mais tous sentent confusément que ce n'est qu'une pause, avant l'assaut promis par les djihadistes sur Bagdad, centre de toutes les convoitises en Irak. » | Par Georges Malbrunot | lundi 15 juin 2014

Krise im Irak: Pentagon schließt militärische Kooperation mit Iran aus

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Reden ja, kooperieren nein: Das US-Verteidigungsministerium hat eine militärische Zusammenarbeit mit Iran im Kampf gegen Isis ausgeschlossen. Das Pentagon widerspricht damit Außenminister Kerry.

Washington - Das US-Verteidigungsministerium lehnt eine militärische Zusammenarbeit mit dem iranischen Regime im Kampf gegen die Terrorgruppe Isis ab.

"Es gibt überhaupt keine Absicht und keine Pläne, um Militäraktionen zwischen den Vereinigten Staaten und Iran zu koordinieren", sagte Pentagon-Sprecher John Kirby. "Es gibt auch keine Pläne für Konsultationen mit Iran über militärische Aktivitäten im Irak."

Möglich seien jedoch allgemeine Gespräche mit Teheran über den Kampf gegen Isis. In dieser Woche treffen sich Vertreter der USA und Irans in Wien zu neuen Verhandlungen über das Atomprogramm der Islamischen Republik. "Es ist möglich, dass es am Rande dieser Gespräche Diskussionen um die Situation im Irak gibt", sagte Kirby. "Wir haben in der Vergangenheit mit Iran auch über Afghanistan debattiert." » | syd/Reuters | Montag, 16. Juni 2014

UK Outlaws Isis, the Militant Group behind Iraqi Attacks

An image appearing to show militants from the Islamic State
of Iraq and Levant (Isis) with truckloads of captured soldiers

BBC: The Islamist militant group that has seized control of parts of Iraq has been outlawed in the UK.

The Home Office said it would be a criminal offence to associate with or give financial backing to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis).

The UK has ruled out a role in any possible military action but may give other support to the Iraqi government.

Nick Clegg has warned that the turmoil in Iraq and Syria is a "very direct threat" to the safety of UK citizens.

The deputy prime minister said the UK would not provide "active frontline military resources" to support any action taken against Isis forces but added that the UK would not stand in the way of "well judged, well targeted action to assert some semblance of order in Iraq". (+ video) » | Monday, June 16, 2014

Iraq Conflict: Militants 'Seize' City of Tal Afar

BBC: Sunni militants have seized the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar, officials and residents say.

Militants led by ISIS - the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - captured key cities including Mosul and Tikrit last week, but some towns were retaken.

UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos said there were reports of "major human rights violations", including summary executions of civilians.

The US says it may use drone strikes to halt the militants' advance.

"They're not the whole answer, but they may well be one of the options that are important," said US Secretary of State John Kerry.

The Pentagon said US officials were also open to holding direct talks with Iran over Iraq, but there was "no plan to co-ordinate military activity" between the two countries.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani earlier said he would consider co-operation if the US took action. » | Monday, June 16, 2014

Obama Must Admit to Failure in Iraq

Obama, accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, in
Washington D.C. Tuesday, June 10, 2014.

HAARETZ: With Iraq's future pouring into the hands of either Islamic militants or Iran, the time has come for Obama to admit his foreign policy is utterly flawed.

The leader of the free world didn't look good after his statement to the media on Friday from the White House lawn. With the George H.W. Bush carrier group on its way to the Persian Gulf, U.S. President Barack Obama will soon have over 100 combat aircraft at his disposal around Iraq, including those based in Jordan and the Emirates, and close to 40,000 troops in various bases in the region. If needed, that number could be doubled at short notice. But when Obama admitted that "short term military action, including any assistance we might provide, won't succeed," he wasn't just making excuses.

The new situation in Iraq - where the forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), along with local Sunni militias, have taken control of wide swathes of the country's north-west - symbolizes the total failure of the Obama administration's military strategy over the last five and a half years. Obama is effectively out of military options. » | Anshel Pfeffer | Monday, June 16, 2014

Should the US Rescue Iraq?

Jun. 15, 2014 - 11:41 - House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Rogers weighs in

Did the Crisis in Iraq Catch Obama by Surprise?

Jun. 16, 2014 - 4:12 - Mixed messages from the president on global security

US Weighs Alliance with Iran to Counter ISIS, Boosts Presence in Gulf

FOX NEWS: The Obama administration reportedly is preparing to open direct talks with Iran on possibly cooperating to counter the Sunni militant force seizing large swaths of Iraq and threatening Baghdad, weighing an unlikely alliance in the face of a common foe.

Secretary of State John Kerry said Monday the administration was "open to discussions" with Tehran if they can help end the violence. He told Yahoo! News he would "not rule out anything that would be constructive."

The deliberations come as the U.S. moved more assets into the region. According to U.S. Navy officials, the USS Mesa Verde is moving into the Persian Gulf with about 500 Marines on board, to help in the event of an evacuation. » | FoxNews.com | Monday, June 16, 2014

Inside Story: Is Maliki Behind Iraq’s Sectarian Divide?

Shia volunteers answer a call to arms after Sunni rebels take over Iraqi cities.

The Slaughter That Shames Tony Blair: Outcry from All Sides over Former Prime Minister's 'Crusader' Call for a New Blitz on Iraq as the Country Descends into a Bloodbath

MAIL ONLINE: Tony Blair said current chaos in Iraq could have been avoided / The former PM suggested the West should have bombed Syria / Blair said it was 'bizarre' that Iraq War was blamed for violence / Also suggested inaction could lead to a terror attack in the UK / But his comments prompt avalanche of criticism from Left and Right / Former minister Clare Short said he was 'wrong, wrong, wrong' / Pictures have emerged showing the mass execution of government soldiers


Iraq descended to new depths of savagery yesterday – as Tony Blair washed his hands of all blame for the bloodshed.

With Islamist jihadists now in control of large areas of the country, appalling pictures emerged showing the mass execution of government soldiers by masked fanatics.

Dozens of terrified men in civilian clothes lie in a shallow ditch before being executed in cold blood by Islamist extremists.

The Iraqi Army deserters, some wearing football shirts, were taken to scrubland where they faced a firing squad of Al Qaeda-inspired insurgents.

But, to derision from Left and Right, Mr Blair insisted that the sectarian violence tearing the country apart had nothing to do with his own actions in supporting the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Instead, he blamed the West’s failure to bomb Syria last year – and called for fresh Western military action against both nations.

‘We have to liberate ourselves from the notion that “we” have caused this,’ the former Prime Minister wrote in an extraordinary essay. ‘We haven’t.’ Read on and comment » | Jason Groves | Monday, June 16, 2014

Edikt über den Gottesstaat: Mosul im Griff der Islamisten

NEUE ZÜRCHER ZEITUNG: In der irakischen Stadt Mosul haben die islamistischen Eroberer ein Dekret erlassen und damit begonnen, ihre Macht zu festigen. Wie ihre Herrschaft aussieht, kann man in Syrien studieren. Die Freude mancher Einwohner dürfte nicht lange anhalten.

Es sind Szenen, wie man sie im vergangenen Jahr in Syrien sah: Menschen feiern auf den Strassen den Einmarsch des Islamischen Staats im Irak und in Syrien (Isis). Jubelnd fahren sie in Autokorsos durch die Strassen der nordirakischen Millionenstadt und verteilen Süssigkeiten. Sehen kann man das in Videos, die im Internet zirkulieren. Dabei wissen auch die Bürger von Mosul, was auf sie zukommen dürfte. » | Inga Rogg, Istanbul | Sonntag, 15. Juni 2014

Iraq Conflict: Images Purport to Show 'Massacre' by Militants

BBC: The Sunni extremist group that has taken territory across Iraq has posted photos online that appear to show its fighters massacring Iraqi soldiers.

The army personnel are pictured being led away and then lying in trenches before and after their "execution".

Iraqi military spokesman Lt Gen Qassim al-Moussawi said the pictures were authentic and depicted events in Salahuddin province.

But the images' authenticity has not been independently confirmed.

The BBC's Jim Muir, in northern Iraq, says if the photographs are genuine, it would be by far the biggest single atrocity since the time of the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Their emergence came as the Iraqi government claimed to have "regained the initiative" against the offensive by Sunni rebels led by ISIS - the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant.

Extremists captured key cities, including Mosul and Tikrit, last week, but several towns have now been retaken from the rebels. » | Sunday, June 15, 2014

'Islamists' Attack Kenyan Coastal Town

BBC: Suspected Islamist militants have attacked hotels and a police station in the Kenyan coastal town of Mpeketoni, military officials say.

Witnesses reported seeing buildings on fire and hearing gunfire in the town, which is near Lamu island.

It is not yet clear if there are any casualties.

Kenya has suffered a number of militant attacks since 2011 when its forces entered neighbouring Somalia to combat al-Shabab fighters. » | Sunday, June 15, 2014

Albanians Could Be On Their Way to Britain as David Cameron to Agree EU Move

Government would back Albania's plans to enter EU

SUNDAY EXPRESS: MORE than three million Albanians could be free to move over to Britain after David Cameron backed plans for the country to join the European Union.

Despite Cameron previously saying he didn't want poorer nations to join the EU, Government sources have confirmed Britain would back Albania's campaign to gain "candidate" status in a vote next week.

It comes after fresh unrest over Mr Cameron's pledge to get a grip on Europe.

Mr Cameron has previously said he wants EU rules in place to block movement from new EU countries until their average income is in line with western European nations.

During the last census, Albania had a population of 2,931,977, currently 17 per cent of whom are unemployed. The average monthly wage is £305. » | Helen Barratt | Sunday, June 15, 2014

Worlds Apart: New Sunnistan? 'We're Headed toward the Partition of Iraq' – Ex-US Ambassador to Iraq

Is Fundamentalism Undermining Faith : The Big Questions

Tony Blair Iraq Comments: Senior Labour Figures Distance Themselves from Former PM after He Refuses to Accept Blame for New Crisis

THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY: Sources close to Ed Miliband refused to endorse Mr Blair’s analysis

Senior Labour figures rapidly distanced themselves from Tony Blair after he supported airstrikes on Iraq and Syria – and refused to accept that he should accept any of the blame for the crisis engulfing the region.

He defended his Government’s backing for the US-led invasion of Iraq, insisting it had been right to oust Saddam Hussein and urging military intervention to halt the advance of extremist Isis forces across the north of the country.

The former Prime Minister’s comments, in a blogpost on his website and a series of television interviews, opened fresh wounds within the party over the 11-year-old Iraq war.

Sources close to Ed Miliband refused to endorse Mr Blair’s analysis. One told the Independent: “What matters now is making the judgements rather than seeking to make points about what happened in the past.”

The shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander, echoed the Coalition Government’s view that military action is not contemplated. He said: “The truth is that it is the Iraqis themselves who hold the key to resolving this crisis.” » | Nigel Morris | Sunday, June 15, 2014

Tony Blair on Iraq: The Andrew Marr Show

'Intervene in Iraq and Syria Or Britain Will Face Terror Attacks': Blair Warns UK Should Get Involved as He Defends Decision to Topple Saddam

MAIL ON SUNDAY: Former PM says Middle East terror will return to Europe if it's not faced fown [sic] / Calls for intervention in Iraq to stop ISIS terrorists taking Baghdad / Says biggest single threat for the UK is returning British jihadist fighters

Tony Blair this morning said Britain needed to take action in Iraq and Syria - or face terror attacks in at home.

The former Prime Minister said the UK needed to intervene to stop a 'total disaster'. He insisted that he was not calling for troops on the ground - but suggested the 'selective use of air power' was one option on the table.

Mr Blair said: 'If we don't deal with the Syria issue then the problems are not just going to be for Syria and for the region, the problems are actually going to come back and they are going to hit us very directly even in our own country.'

He added: 'If you talk to security services in France and Germany and the UK, they will tell you their biggest single worry today returning jihadists fighters - our own citizens by the way - from Syria.

'We have to look at Syria, and Iraq and the region in context. We have to understand what's going on there and engage.'

He said that didn't mean 'ground troops' but it we shouldn't 'wash our hands of it and walk away'.

Mr Blair's remarks this morning come as extremist fighters from the al-Qaida-inspired 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' bear down on Baghdad.

Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show [sic] Mr Blair said an ISIS victory would be a 'total disaster and it mustn't be allowed to happen'.

He said: 'We are going to have to engage with it and if we don't then the consequences will come back on us.' » | Tom McTague, Mail Online Deputy Editor | Sunday, June 15, 2014

Iraq, Syria and the Middle East – An essay by Tony Blair: The civil war in Syria with its attendant disintegration is having its predictable and malign effect. Iraq is now in mortal danger. The whole of the Middle East is under threat. » | Office of Tony Blair | Saturday, June 14, 2014