To beat ISIS, kick out US-led coalition: No will to fight

Islamic State claims responsibility for Baghdad hotel bombs Fri, May 29 09:49 AM EDT image BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State claimed responsibility on Friday for bombings outside two heavily fortified five-star hotels in the Iraqi capital that killed 10 people. In a statement, Islamic State said a suicide bomber called Abu Qutaiba had parked a car outside the Ishtar hotel in central Baghdad late on Thursday before driving another vehicle laden with 230 kg of explosives to the nearby Babylon hotel. The bomber detonated himself and the vehicle he was driving there around the same time the first car bomb exploded, "killing and wounding dozens of infidels", according to the statement. Iraqi authorities lifted a decade-old night-time curfew on Baghdad early this year, seeking to restore a sense of normality to the capital as security forces battle Islamic State insurgents who have overrun large parts of the country. But the rate of bombings in Baghdad has increased since then. Militants seized Ramadi, the Anbar provincial capital west of Baghdad, on May 17 in the most significant military setback to the government since a U.S.-led coalition launched a campaign of air strikes against Islamic State last August. (Reporting by Omar Fahmy and Saif Hameed; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Sharmine Narwani is a commentator and analyst of Middle East geopolitics. She tweets @snarwani Get short URL Published time: May 27, 2015 13:06 A car is engulfed by flames during clashes in the city of Ramadi (Reuters / Stringer) A car is engulfed by flames during clashes in the city of Ramadi (Reuters / Stringer) Trends Islamic State Tags Air Force, Arms, Army, Conflict, Drones, History, Human rights, Iran, Iraq, Israel, John Kerry, Lebanon, Mass media, Military, Opposition, Politics, Religion, Russia, Security, Syria, Terrorism, USA, Violence, War It’s been a bad time for foes of ISIS. Islamic State scored a neat hat-trick by invading strategic Ramadi in Iraq’s mainly Sunni Anbar province, occupying Syria’s historic gem Palmyra, and taking over Al-Tanf, the last remaining border crossing with Iraq. The multinational, American-led ‘Coalition’ launched last August to thwart Islamic State’s (IS, formerly ISIS) march across Syria and Iraq…did nothing. And so Baghdad and Washington are pointing fingers, each accusing the other of being asleep on the job. US Defense Secretary Ash Carter struck a low blow on Sunday in a CNN interview: “What apparently happened was that the Iraqi forces just showed no will to fight. They vastly outnumbered the opposing force. That says to me… that we have an issue with the will of the Iraqis to fight and defend themselves.” Carter must have forgotten that Iraqis staved off an ISIS occupation of Ramadi for almost 18 months. He also forgot that it was Iraqis who defended and/or recovered Amerli, Suleiman Beg, Tuz Khurmatu, Jurf al-Sakhar, Jalula, Saadiyah, Khanaqin, Muqdadiyah, Baquba, Udhaim Dam, Tharthar Dam, Habbaniyah, Haditha, Al-Baghdadi, Mosul Dam, Mount Sinjar, Zumar, Erbil, Gwer, Makhmur, dozens of Christian villages in the Nineveh Plains, Tikrit, Samarra, Balad, Dhuluiya, Dujail, Ishaqi, Al-Alam, Al-Dour, Albu Ajil, Awja, Al-Mutassim, Mukayshifa, Ajil and Alas oilfields, Hamrin mountains, Baiji oil refinery, scores of villages in the provinces of Salaheddine, Diyala, Kirkuk, Anbar, and Babil – and the capital city, Baghdad. The Iraqis have shot back. Key MP Hakim al-Zamili blames Ramadi’s collapse on the US’s failure to provide “good equipment, weapons and aerial support” to troops. Deputy Prime Minister Saleh Mutlaq, himself a Sunni from Anbar Province, concluded that the Americans were coming up short in all areas. "The Coalition airstrikes are not enough to eliminate IS." Furthermore, the US policy of recruiting Sunni tribes for the fight, he added, was “too late” – it is "important but not enough." If ever there was an understatement, this is it. Washington’s long-stated objective of rallying together a vetted Sunni fighting force - or its equivalent in the form of a National Guard – has always served as a placeholder to avoid facing realities. One thing we have learned from IS gains in small and large Sunni towns alike, is that the extremist group prides itself on sleeper cells and alliances inside of these areas. Sunni tribes and families, both, are divided on their support of IS. And the militants ensure that everyone else falls in line through a brutal campaign of inflicting fear and pain indiscriminately. So the likelihood of a significant, anti-IS, well-trained and equipped Sunni fighting force emerging anytime soon is just about nil. So too is the idea of a US-led Coalition air force that can cripple Islamic State. Washington has run fewer sorties over Syria and Iraq in the nine months since inception of its air campaign, than Israel ran in its entire three-week Gaza blitz in 2008-09. Where were the American bombers when Ramadi and Palmyra were being taken? And why does the US Air Force only seem to engage in earnest when their Kurdish allies are being threatened – as in Kobani (Ain al-Arab), Syria, and Erbil in Iraq? Reuters Reuters US calculations for Syria & Iraq If actions speak louder than words, then Washington’s moves in the Mideast have been deafening. Forget talk of a ‘unified Iraq’ with a ‘strong central government’. And definitely forget loudly-proclaimed objectives of ‘training moderate forces’ to ‘fight off IS’ across the Jordanian and Turkish borders in Syria. That’s just talk. An objective look at US interests in the region paint an entirely different picture. The Americans seek to maintain absolute hegemony in the Mideast, even as they exit costly military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Their primary interests are 1) access to low cost oil and gas, 2) propping up Israel, and more recently, 3) undermining Russian (and Chinese) influence in the region. Clinging on to hegemony would be a whole lot easier without the presence of a powerful, independent Islamic Republic of Iran, which continues to throw a wrench in many of Washington’s regional projects. So hegemony is somewhat dependent on weakening Iran – and its supportive alliances. With the removal of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the US inadvertently extended Iran’s arc of influence in a direct geographic line to Palestine, leaving the Israeli colonial project vulnerable. Former President George W. Bush immediately took on the task of destroying this Resistance Axis by attempting to neuter Iranian allies Hezbollah, Syria and Hamas – and failed. The Arab Spring presented a fresh opportunity to regroup: the US and its Turkish and Persian Gulf allies swung into action to create conditions for regime-change in Syria. The goal? To break this geographic line from Iran - through Iraq, Syria and Lebanon - to Palestine. When regime-change failed, the goalpost moved to the next best plan: dividing Syria into several competing chunks, which would weaken the central state and create a pro-US ‘buffer’ along the border with Israel. Weakening the central government in Iraq by dividing the state along Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite lines has also been a priority for the Americans. You only have to look at recent US actions in Iraq to see this unspoken plan in action. Washington’s most intensive airstrikes to date were when Kurdish Erbil and its environs came under threat by ISIS. Congress has breached all international norms by ushering through legislation to directly arm Sunni and Kurdish militias and bypass the central government in Baghdad. And despite endless promises and commitments, the Americans have failed at every hurdle to train and equip the Iraqi Army and security forces to do anything useful. A weak, divided Iraq can never become a regional powerhouse allied with Iran and the Resistance Axis. Likewise a weak, divided Syria. But without US control over these central governments, the only way to achieve this is 1) through the creation of sectarian and ethnic strife that could carve out pro-US buffers inside the ‘Resistance states’ and/or 2) through the creation of a hostile ‘Sunni buffer’ to break this line from Iran to Palestine. A member of the Iraqi security forces stands guard during a patrol in the city of Ramadi (Reuters / Stringer) Today, America’s ‘Sunni buffer’ is Islamic State General Walid Sukariyya, a Sunni, pro-resistance member of Lebanon’s parliament, agrees. “ISIS will be better for the US and Israel than having a strong Iran, Iraq and Syria…If they succeed at this, the Sunni state in Iraq will split the resistance from Palestine.” While Washington has long sought to create a buffer in Iraq on the Syrian border, it has literally spent years trying – and failing – to find, then mold, representative Sunni Iraqi leaders who will comfortably toe a pro-American line. An example of this is the Anbar delegation US General John Allen handpicked last December for a DC tour, which excluded representatives of the two most prominent Sunni tribes fighting IS in Iraq – the Albu Alwan and Albu Nimr. A spokesman for the tribes, speaking to Al-Jarida newspaper, objected at the time: "We are fighting ISIL and getting slaughtered, while suffering from a shortage of weapons. In the meantime, others are going to Washington to get funds and will later be assigned as our leaders." But why ignore Sunni groups who are unreservedly opposed to IS? Aren’t they America’s natural constituents inside Iraq? The Takfiri extremist groups serve a purpose for Washington. IS has had the ability - where competing Sunni factions, with their ever-growing lists of demands from Baghdad, have not – to transform the US’ ‘buffer’ project into a physical reality. And Washington has not needed to expend blood, treasure or manpower to get the job done. Last week, the government watchdog group Judicial Watch published a secret (now declassified) 2012 US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) document that sheds light on American calculations in Syria. Written just 16 months into the 50-month-long Syrian conflict, the highly-redacted DIA document discloses the following key revelations: "The Salafist, the Muslim Brotherhood and AQI (Al-Qaeda in Iraq) are the major forces driving the insurgency in Syria." "The West, Gulf countries and Turkey support the opposition." The Syrian government has focused its priorities on securing pro-government areas and major transportation routes, which means "the regime decreased its concentration in areas adjacent to the Iraqi borders (al Hasaka and Der Zor).” "Opposition forces are trying to control the eastern areas (Hasaka and Der Zor) adjacent to the western Iraqi borders (Mosul and Anbar)…Western countries, the Gulf and Turkey are supporting these efforts." "The deterioration of the situation…creates the ideal atmosphere for AQI to return to its old pockets in Mosul and Ramadi…" "If the situation unravels there is the opportunity of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist Principality in eastern Syria, and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime, which is considered the strategic depth of the Shia expansion (Iraq and Iran)." The DIA brief makes clear that the escalation of conflict in Syria will create further sectarianism and radicalization, which will increase the likelihood of an ‘Islamic State’ on the Syrian-Iraqi border, one that would likely be manned by the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). So what did Washington do when it received this information? It lied. Less than one month after the DIA report was published, US Secretary of State John Kerry told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this about the Syrian opposition: "I just don't agree that a majority are Al-Qaeda and the bad guys. That's not true. There are about 70,000 to 100,000 oppositionists ... Maybe 15 percent to 25 percent might be in one group or another who are what we would deem to be bad guys…There is a real moderate opposition that exists.” Using the fabricated storyline of ‘moderate rebels’ who need assistance to fight a ‘criminal Syrian regime’, the US government kept the Syrian conflict buzzing, knowing full well the outcome would mean the establishment of a Sunni extremist entity spanning the Syrian-Iraqi border…which could cripple, what the Americans call, “the strategic depth of the Shia expansion.” As US Council on Foreign Relations member and terrorism analyst Max Abrahms conceded on Twitter: "The August 5, 2012 DIA report confirms much of what Assad has been saying all along about his opponents both inside & outside Syria." Fakhreddin's Castle (top), is pictured in the historical city of Palmyra, Syria (Reuters / Nour Fourat) How to fight this American “Frankenstein” Since last year, numerous Iraqi officials have complained about the US airdropping weapons to IS - whether deliberately or inadvertently remains disputed. Military sources, on the other hand, have made clear that the US-led Coalition ignores many of the Iraqi requests for air cover during ground operations. If the US isn't willing to play ball in Iraq's existential fight against IS, then why bother with the Americans at all? Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is viewed as a ‘weak’ head of state - a relatively pro-American official who will work diligently to keep a balance between US interests and those of Iraq's powerful neighbor, Iran. But after the disastrous fall of Ramadi, and more bad news from inside Syria, Abadi has little choice but to mitigate these losses, and rapidly. The prime minister has now ordered the engagement of thousands of Hashd al-Shaabi (Shiite paramilitary groups, commonly known as the Popular Mobilization Forces) troops in the Anbar to wrest back control of Ramadi. And this - unusually - comes with the blessings of Anbar's Sunni tribes who voted overwhelmingly to appeal to the Hashd for military assistance. Joining the Hashd are a few thousand Sunni fighters, making this a politically palatable response. If the Ramadi operation goes well, this joint Sunni-Shiite effort (which also proved successful in Tikrit) could provide Iraq with a model to emulate far and wide. The recent losses in Syria and Iraq have galvanized IS' opponents from Lebanon to Iran to Russia, with commitments pouring in for weapons, manpower and funds. If Ramadi is recovered, this grouping is unlikely to halt its march, and will make a push to the Syrian border through IS-heavy territory. There is good reason for this: the militants who took Ramadi came across the Syrian border - in full sight of US reconnaissance capabilities. A senior resistance state official told me earlier this year: “We will not allow the establishment of a big (extremist) demographic and geographic area between Syria and Iraq. We will work to push Syrian ISIS inside Syria and Iraqi ISIS inside Iraq.” Right now, the key to pushing back Takfiri gains inside Syria's eastern and northwestern theaters lies in the strengthening of the Iraqi military landscape. And an absolute priority will be in clearing the IS ‘buffer’ between the two states. Eighteen months ago, in an analysis about how to fight jihadist militants from the Levant to the Persian Gulf, I wrote that the solution for this battle will be found only within the region, specifically from within those states whose security is most compromised or under threat: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran. I argued that these four states would be forced to increase their military cooperation as the battles intensified, and that they would provide the only 'boots on the ground' in this fight. And they will. But air cover is a necessary component of successful offensive operations, even in situations of unconventional warfare. If the US and its flimsy Coalition are unable or unwilling to provide the required reconnaissance assistance and the desired aerial coverage, as guided by a central Iraqi military command, then Iraq should look elsewhere for help. Iran and Russia come to mind - and we may yet get there. Iraq and Syria need to merge their military strategies more effectively - again, an area where the Iranians and Russians can provide valuable expertise. Both states have hit a dangerous wall in the past few weeks, and the motivation for immediate and decisive action is high today. Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah is coming into play increasingly as well - its Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has recently promised that Hezbollah will no longer limit itself geographically, and will go where necessary to thwart this Takfiri enemy. The non-state actors that make up the jihadist and Takfiri core cannot be beaten by conventional armies, which is why local militias accustomed to asymmetric warfare are best suited for these battles. Criticizing the US's utterly nonexistent response to the Ramadi debacle yesterday, Iran's elite Quds Force Commander Qassem Suleimani points out: "Today, there is nobody in confrontation with [IS] except the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as nations who are next to Iran or supported by Iran.” The Iranians have become central figures in the fight against terror, and are right next door to it - as opposed to Washington, over 6,000 miles away. If the US has any real commitment to the War on Terror, it should focus on non-combat priorities that are also essential to undermine extremism: 1) securing the Turkish and Jordanian borders to prevent any further infiltration of jihadists into Syria and Iraq, 2) sanctioning countries and individuals who fund and weaponize the Takfiris, most of whom are staunch US allies, now ironically part of the ‘Coalition’ to fight IS, and 3) sharing critical intelligence about jihadist movements with those countries engaged in the battle. It is time to cut these losses and bring some heavyweights into this battle against extremism. If the US-directed Coalition will not deliver airstrikes under the explicit command of sovereign states engaged at great risk in this fight, it may be time to clear Iraqi and Syrian airspace of coalition jets, and fill those skies with committed partners instead. MORE: The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT. Agencies BAGHDAD: A senior ISIS figure known as “the blind judge” has made an appearance in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, asserting the militant group’s dominion over it as security forces and Shiite militias prepare a counterattack. Residents of Ramadi said that a blind man with one hand and his head shrouded had delivered a speech in the Anbar provincial capital’s main mosque after evening prayers Wednesday. They did not know who he was but recognized him to be a senior figure because he was flanked by a large number of guards and said his accent indicated he was Iraqi. Iraqi security expert Hisham al-Hashimi identified the man as Ali Attiya al-Jubouri, who is also known as Abu Asim, or “the blind judge” of ISIS. “This cleric who appeared in Ramadi yesterday is very famous,” Hashimi said. “He is the second highest religious authority after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the fifth man in the organization of ISIS.” Hashimi said the appearance of the blind judge was designed to win over residents of Ramadi, many of whom sided with the government and fended off the militants until they were finally overcome on May 17. Iraqi forces thwarted an attack by ISIS militants on their front line position east of Ramadi Thursday. Police and pro-government tribal fighters on the frontline in Husaiba al-Sharqiya, around 7 km east of Ramadi, said the militants had tried to cut them off from behind by crossing the Euphrates River at dawn. “They started the attack under cover of mortars and sniper shots, but we managed to abort it,” Sunni tribal leader Amir al-Fahdawi said. “We have enough troops deployed and a couple of tanks positioned near the bridge.” South of Ramadi, Shiite militia fighters along with police pressed an advance in al-Tash area late Wednesday but came under attack from an ISIS suicide bomber driving an armored vehicle packed with explosives. Police sources said seven militiamen had been killed and the forces, mainly Shiite fighters from the Popular Mobilization militia force, were forced to retreat. Iraq announced an operation this week aimed at driving the militants out of their remaining strongholds in Salahuddin province as well as Anbar, most of which is under ISIS control. Separately, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Pentagon officials have begun to examine how the U.S. military could better equip and train Iraqi troops after the fall of Ramadi. Carter told reporters on his plane to Asia that he had convened a group of defense policy officials and military officers from U.S. Central Command and the Pentagon’s Joint Staff to look at how “we can enhance, hasten” the mission to train and equip Iraqi forces. The initial meeting took place Tuesday before Carter departed on a trip to Asia. “The events of recent weeks there [in Iraq] have highlighted the central importance of having a capable ground partner and that’s what the purpose of our train-and-equip program is. So we are looking,” Carter said. Also, the government has exhumed the remains of 470 people believed to have been executed by ISIS near Tikrit last year in what is known as the Speicher massacre, the health minister said. “We have exhumed the bodies of 470 Speicher martyrs from burial sites in Tikrit,” Adila Hammoud told a news conference in Baghdad, adding that the number was not final. In June 2014, armed men belonging or allied to ISIS abducted hundreds of young, mostly Shiite recruits from Speicher military base, just outside the city of Tikrit. They were then lined up in several locations and executed one by one, as shown in pictures and footage later released by ISIS. The highest estimate for the number of people killed stands at 1,700. A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on May 29, 2015, on page 10.

Both Al-Maliki and Sharif have to leave: Dictated Democracy Defined by Department of Defense

Iraq's prime minister seems increasingly isolated . Associated Press By VIVIAN SALAMA and SAMEER N. YACOUB 31 minutes ago . . .. . Associated Press Videos Iraq's Maliki to Army: Keep Out of Politics  Iraq's Maliki to Army: Keep Out of Politics  News News 1 Iraq's Maliki to Army: Keep Out of Politics Iraq's Maliki to Army: Keep Out of Politics 2 Actress Lauren Bacall dies at 89 Actress Lauren Bacall dies at 89 3 Actress Lauren Bacall dies at 89 Actress Lauren Bacall dies at 89 4 Cars trapped in flood waters in Maryland Cars trapped in flood waters in Maryland 5 Fans Gather to Remember Robin Williams Fans Gather to Remember Robin Williams 6 Depression, Addiction - Williams' Dual Struggle Depression, Addiction - Williams' Dual Struggle 7 AP Top Stories Aug 12 P AP Top Stories Aug 12 P 1 views 8 Stocks slip; Kate Spade shares mauled Stocks slip; Kate Spade shares mauled 9 New York Man Speaks After Negative Ebola Test New York Man Speaks After Negative Ebola Test 10 Williams died from asphyxia due to hanging Williams died from asphyxia due to hanging Load More . BAGHDAD (AP) — His days in power in Iraq appear increasingly numbered. World leaders, including his biggest ally, Iran, hail the nomination of the man who would be his successor. There's seemingly little left for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to cling to, beyond the support of party stalwarts and high-ranking loyalists in the military. Al-Maliki looked even more isolated Tuesday, a day after Iraq's president appointed Haider al-Abadi as prime minister-designate to form a caretaker government — a move seen as a major step toward breaking the political deadlock that has paralyzed the country since April elections. It also comes after Islamic extremists have swept across northern Iraq, prompting the U.S. to launch airstrikes and directly arm Kurds who are battling the militants. Despite the backing he enjoys among the top military brass, al-Maliki told the Iraqi army Tuesday to keep out of politics and focus on protecting the nation. Al-Maliki, who has been in power for eight years, insists he should keep his post as prime minister of the Shiite-led government for a third term because his bloc won the most seats in the assembly, even though he has lost some support with the main coalition of Shiite parties. U.S. President Barack Obama has called the nomination of al-Abadi a positive step for Iraq, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday he welcomed the formation of a new government "acceptable to all components of Iraqi society." .. View gallery FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, file photo, … FILE - In this Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013, file photo, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki listens to … Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah sent his congratulations. The official Saudi Press Agency said the king expressed his hope the new prime minister, president and parliament speaker would restore cohesion and unity among the Iraqi people. The move represents a sharp pivot from the bitter relationship that Riyadh and Baghdad had under al-Maliki, when each side blamed the other for sectarian strife and fueling extremism. Even Shiite powerhouse Iran rallied behind al-Abadi as a badly needed unifying figure in the face of the insurgency by the Sunni militants of the Islamic State group. Top Iranian official Ali Shamkhani offered his congratulations to the veteran Iraqi politician, indicating that Tehran, with its considerable influence on the Shiite parties, is further shifting away from al-Maliki. In remarks to reporters in New York, Ban warned against the Iraqi military taking sides in Iraq. "It is imperative that the security forces refrain from intervening in the political process," he said. Since winning his second term in 2010, al-Maliki has worked to craft a military in which the top brass are loyal to him. .. View gallery Iraqis chant pro-government slogans and display placards … Iraqis chant pro-government slogans and display placards bearing a picture of embattled Prime Minist … During a televised discussion with his senior military commanders, al-Maliki urged the armed forces not to interfere in the political process. Heightened security on Monday sparked concerns in Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq that security forces might implement a lockdown after President Fouad Massoum appointed al-Abadi. Al-Maliki himself raised the specter of further unrest by saying that Sunni militants or Shiite militiamen might don military uniforms and try to take control of the streets on the pretext of supporting him. But he also warned against such actions. "This is not allowed because those people, wearing army uniforms and in military vehicles, might take advantage of the situation and move around and make things worse," he told the senior army and police commanders. Analysts say the Iraqi armed forces and his remaining political allies prefer to avoid a military confrontation and instead are interested in protecting their own positions. Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurdish politician who formerly served as foreign minister in al-Maliki's government, said military commanders in Baghdad "have assured the president and prime minister-designate that they will not take sides, that they will abide by the constitution and they will support democratic institutions in the country." .. View gallery FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 file photo, Shiite … FILE - In this Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 file photo, Shiite lawmaker Haider al-Abadi speaks to the pres … "Also Shiite armed militias made similar pledges that they will not undermine the security of the people," Zebari said. Austin Long, a member of the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University, said Washington and Tehran should try to ensure that al-Maliki has a "safe exit" from power. "A lot of people don't want to let go of power because they get a little Messiah complex, but also, they want to be sure that if they peacefully transfer power, then they won't end up swinging from a lamp post," Long said. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged al-Abadi to work quickly to form an inclusive government and said the U.S. is prepared to offer it significant additional aid in the fight against Islamic State militants. The U.S. has already increased its role in fighting the Islamic State militant group, which has threatened the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. The airstrikes, which began Friday, have reinvigorated Iraqi Kurdish forces. .. View gallery An Iraqi Yazidi man visits the holy Lalish temple in … An Iraqi Yazidi man visits the holy Lalish temple in the Mountains of Shikhan near Dahuk, 260 miles … On Tuesday, a U.S. drone destroyed a militant mortar position threatening Kurdish forces defending refugees near the Syrian border. Another 130 U.S. troops arrived in the Kurdish capital of Irbil in northern Iraq on Tuesday on what the Pentagon described as a temporary mission to assess the scope of the humanitarian crisis facing thousands of displaced Iraqi civilians trapped on Sinjar Mountain. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced the deployment in remarks to Marines at Camp Pendleton, California. The 130 are in addition to 90 U.S. military advisers already in Baghdad and 160 in a pair of operations centers — one in Irbil and one in Baghdad — working with Iraqi and Kurdish security forces. They are in addition to about 455 U.S. security forces and 100 military personnel working in the Office of Security Cooperation in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.. "This is not a combat boots on the ground kind of operation," Hagel said. "We're not going back into Iraq in any of the same combat mission dimensions that we once were in in Iraq," he added, referring to the eight-year war that cost more than 4,400 U.S. lives and soured the American public on military involvement in Iraq. .. View gallery Iraqis chant pro-government slogans and display placards … Iraqis chant pro-government slogans and display placards bearing a picture of embattled Prime Minist … Another defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to provide additional details on the sensitive mission, said the extra troops are Marines and special operations forces whose mission is to assess the situation in the Sinjar area and to develop additional humanitarian assistance options beyond current U.S. efforts there. Still another official said the mission for the 130 troops could last less than one week. They are to work with representatives of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to coordinate plans with international partners and non-government organizations to help thousands of members of the Yazidi minority trapped on Sinjar Mountain in northwest Iraq. The Kurdish-speaking Yazidis follow an ancient religion, with roots in Zoroastrianism, which the Islamic State group considers heretical and has vowed to destroy. On Tuesday night, U.S. Central Command said four U.S. Air Force cargo planes dropped 108 bundles of food and water intended to help the trapped Yazidi civilians on Sinjar Mountain. It was the sixth such humanitarian relief mission conducted by U.S. planes since last week. An Iraqi military helicopter providing aid to civilians fleeing the militants crashed near the Sinjar mountains in northern Iraq, killing the pilot, army spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi said in a statement. The helicopter crashed after too many civilians tried to board it. The New York Times reported one of its reporters, Alissa J. Rubin, was in the helicopter and suffered an apparent concussion and broken wrists in the crash. France and Britain stepped up support Tuesday for thousands of people fleeing the Islamic militants in northern Iraq, pledging more air drops, money and equipment to ease suffering and bolster fighters battling the Sunni insurgents. Britain fast-tracked 3 million pounds ($5 million) in aid. The European Union said it wants to "bring vital assistance to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians trapped by the fighting" and was increasing its aid by 5 million euros ($7 million) for a total of about $23 million this year. EU Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva said the funding will help "vulnerable Iraqis, including the minority groups besieged in the mountains of Sinjar" and the communities hosting a growing number of refugees. In other violence reported Tuesday, a car bomb exploded in the Shiite neighborhood of Zafaraniya, killing four people and wounding 13 others, police said. Another bomb detonated in the commercial district of Karrada, killing eight, according to medical officials in a nearby hospital. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. ___ Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin in Baghdad, Adam Schreck in Dubai, Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Edith M. Lederer in New York, and Juergen Baetz in Brussels contributed to this report. ====== Fearing Iraq's downfall, power brokers chose safe bet Abadi Tue, Aug 12 16:09 PM EDT image By Michael Georgy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to step aside had become unbearable. Sunnis, Kurds, fellow Shi'ites, regional power broker Iran and the United States all wanted him out. Maliki calculated he may have one more chance to hold onto power after eight years in office, even though alarmed allies had run out of patience as Islamic State jihadis swept government forces aside in much of western and northern Iraq. Maliki's plan would require persuading Iraq's most influential cleric that he alone could reform and unite a country that had slid back into a civil war fueled by what critics view as his sectarian politics. A week ago, he sent a delegation from his Islamic Dawa Party to try to meet Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the sacred Shi'ite city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, according to an Iraqi minister and a source close to the clergy. It was unclear if they succeeded in gaining an audience with the reclusive 83-year-old cleric, but they did get a response on paper, if not the one that Maliki was hoping for: "Sistani made it clear that he wanted change. He put it in writing - the first time that a leader of Iraq's Shi'ite clergy did such a thing," the minister told Reuters. Sistani's word is law in majority Shi'ite Muslim Iraq so the fate of Maliki - an unknown when he first came to power in 2006 with help from Iraq's then U.S. occupiers - was sealed. Maliki has been caretaker prime minister since an inconclusive parliamentary election in April. But his chances of a third term appear over, with a party colleague named as prime minister-designate and drawing endorsements from home and abroad. While Maliki kept digging in, the main Iraqi and foreign players moved on to wondering who could replace him. Several names came up. One was Ahmad Chalabi, the smooth-talking, secular Shi'ite who played a role in persuading the United States to topple Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. Maliki's immediate predecessor Ibrahim al-Jaafari was also a candidate. But he had failed to ease sectarian violence during his year in office. Deputy Prime Minister Hussain al-Shahristani, a nuclear scientist tortured in Saddam's jails, seemed promising, people familiar with the discussions said. A SAFE CHOICE But, officials said, in the end it came down to a choice between Vice President Khudhaier al-Khuzaie and former Maliki lieutenant Haider al-Abadi, a deputy speaker of parliament. Both were also members of Maliki's Dawa Party but Khuzaie was seen as too sectarian, too like Maliki in that regard. Abadi was selected because all parties agreed the low-key figure got along with leaders of the Kurdish minority and had a decent chance of appeasing Sunni Muslims, whose disgust with Maliki prompted some to join the Islamic State militants. Abadi also appealed to religious leaders and others because the engineer appears not to be motivated purely by political ambition. He spent more than two decades in exile, working in business in Britain while promoting the Islamic ideals of the Dawa party.

"Everyone decided enough is enough. Maliki was turning Iraq into a dictatorship and ruining its democracy. People were losing patience. This came to a head when the Islamic State invaded," said Haqim al-Zamili, a parliamentary ally of the influential Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. "The clergy made their point in Friday sermons. They sent representatives to Baghdad - to pressure Shi'ites to push for change."

Abadi returned to Iraq after the fall of Saddam, who had had two of his brothers executed. He eventually served as an adviser to Maliki as premier and telecommunications minister. The decision to select Abadi was also based on a desire by all parties for a successor who would not remain in thrall to Maliki. While in office Maliki placed loyal allies in influential positions in all the main institutions of state. Abadi fit the bill - a member of Dawa but not part of Maliki's inner circle so the selection would neither alienate a core Shi'ite constituency nor, they hoped, simply give Maliki the chance to remain the power behind the throne. Aside from marginalising the Sunnis and infuriating the Kurds by challenging their long-standing dream of independence, Maliki's mistake was to alienate fellow Shi'ites, especially his long-time ally Iran. Abadi is not seen as a forceful figure who can antagonise, so he appealed to everyone from leaders in Tehran and the top clergy on Najaf to Sunni cities and towns where the Islamic State has capitalised on anti-Shi'ite resentment. Maliki had become so divisive, that some feared he would provoke a conflict among Shi'ites, further fragmenting the country. After Muslims celebrated the end of the fasting month of Ramadan in late July, the Najaf religious powers sent a letter to Abadi through Shi'ite lawmaker Abdul Hadi al-Hakim encouraging him to accept the nomination of prime minister. He accepted. "Abadi was selected by the Shi’ites and also approved by the clergy as he was not from Maliki's tight circle. This means no way Maliki could control him in future," said an member of parliament from the main Shi'ite coalition. "Abadi was most acceptable for all parties, including Sunnis and Kurds. That would definitely help to smooth the sectarian tension that emerged." OLD FRIEND IRAN SHIFTS POSITION Even Maliki's long-time supporter Iran decided it was time to part ways and start looking for an alternative. Like its enemy the United States, Iran had been closely watching the Islamic State's advances in northern Iraq, fearful at the prospect of violence spilling over the border. A senior Iranian official said Iranian and American officials held discussions on who could rescue Iraq, a major oil exporter. "Iranians and Americans held talks over possible candidates and after at least three sessions, they agreed on Abadi," said the official. "He is Shi'ite and given the sensitivity of the situation in Iraq and desperate need to create a united front, Iran agreed to convince Shi'ite groups to support Abadi. Some Iranian clerics based in Najaf were involved and lobbied for him." A U.S. official denied Washington, which has launched air strikes on the Islamic State militants, had tried to push Abadi into power, saying his name had come up through the Iraqi political system. "It’s not like we were leading this charge," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The Saudis, the others who are active in the region, basically said ‘we are not going to do anything for Iraq if Iraq is not going to do something for itself.’ They had basically had it with Maliki." Another Iranian official said Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had signed off on Abadi after long discussions with a group of seven advisers. "Abadi for the time being is a good choice and we have also talked to various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and hope he will be successful," said a high-ranking Iranian official. The Iraqi minister said Sistani had contacted Iran's supreme leader weeks ago to set the groundwork for a new prime minister. "He asked Iran to accept the Iraqi people's choice for a leader and the Iranians agreed," said the minister. Sistani, who favours a behind-the-scenes role, called on Iraqis to take up arms against the Islamic State. Like many Iraqis, he feared sectarian tensions would play into the hands of the Sunni jihadis who believe the majority Shi'ites are infidels who should die. Using Friday sermons, Sistani repeatedly urged Iraqi leaders to stop clinging to their posts - a clear reference to Maliki, who drew comparisons with Saddam Hussein, the man he plotted against for years from exile. Behind the scenes he also used his weight to push Shi'ite politicians to ditch Maliki. Saying no to a man who is revered by millions of Iraqis is not an option. The Shi'ite politicians caved in and sent a delegation to see Sistani three weeks ago to ask for more specific directions, according to members of the main Shi'ite coalition. "This was not easy, it was a very difficult mission. We became really embarrassed and under pressure from the religious establishment," said a Shi'ite politician who pushed for Abadi. "The clergy kept on pressuring us. So it became a must for us. This was beyond politics; it became a duty." In the end Sistani's tough stand plus a swirl of pressures - including the fear of the Islamic State gaining more Sunni followers and making good on its threat to march to Baghdad - prompted six members of the main Shi'ite coalition to act. They held a meeting and formally agreed on Abadi, whose favourite quotation according to his Facebook biography is "the key to leadership is tolerance". "We drafted the decision and signed it," said one of the members of the National Alliance. They then handed it to President Fouad Masoum who immediately appointed Abadi. Now millions of Iraqis, the United States, Iran and other regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey will be watching to see if he is the man who can contain the Islamic State, and end the daily kidnappings, bombings and execution killings. As for Maliki, he has dire predictions for a country whose very survival as a unified state is in jeopardy. "I have been speaking with Maliki. He is worried. He believes Iraq will be a failed state, a nation of militias," said Salam al-Maliki, a prominent sheikh in the former prime minister's tribe. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rashid and Raheem Salman in Baghdad, Parisa Hafezi in Ankara and Mariam Karouny in Beirut, Arshad Mohammed in Washington; editing by David Stamp) ==== Bomb explodes near PM-designate Abadi’s house By Staff of Iraq Oil Report Published Tuesday, August 12th, 2014 At least eight people were killed in a bombing in the Karrada neighborhood near the house of Haider al-Abadi, who is nominated to be the next Prime Minister.A senior Interior Ministry official said 30 people were also injured in the blast, which took place around 6 p.m."A car bomb parked at the side of the road exploded in Karrada Dakhil near Abdulmajeed Hospital, about less than 150 meters from the new Prime Minister's house," the official said.Abadi's nomination has sparked a new p... ==== U.S. ready to help new Iraq leader, Iran welcomes choice Tue, Aug 12 07:51 AM EDT image By Michael Georgy and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's new prime minister-designate won swift endorsements from both the United States and Iran on Tuesday as he called on political leaders to end crippling feuds that have let jihadists seize a third of the country. Haider al-Abadi still faces a threat closer to home, where his Shi'ite party colleague Nuri al-Maliki has refused to step aside after eight years as premier that have alienated Iraq's once dominant Sunni minority and irked Washington and Tehran. However, a senior government official said commanders of military forces that Maliki deployed around Baghdad on Monday had pledged loyalty to President Fouad Masoum and to respect the head of state's decision to ask Abadi to form a new government. As Western powers and international aid agencies considered further help for tens of thousands of people driven from their homes and under threat from the Sunni militants of the Islamic State near the Syrian border, Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would consider requests for military and other assistance once Abadi forms a government to unite the country. Underscoring the convergence of interest in Iraq that marks the normally hostile relationship between Washington and Iran, the head of Tehran's National Security Council congratulated Abadi on his nomination. Like Western powers, Iran has been alarmed by the rise of Sunni militants across Syria and Iraq. Abadi himself, long exiled in Britain, is seen as far less polarizing, sectarian figure than Maliki, who is also from the Shi'ite Islamic Dawa party. Abadi appears to have the blessing of Iraq's powerful Shi'ite clergy. Iraqi state television said Abadi "called on all political powers who believe in the constitution and democracy to unite efforts and close ranks to respond to Iraq’s great challenges". One politician close to Abadi told Reuters that the prime minister-designate had begun contacting leaders of major groups to sound them out on forming a new cabinet. The president said on Monday he hoped he would succeed within the next month. Maliki angrily dismissed Abadi's nomination on Monday as illegal. But there was no further sign of opposition on Tuesday. U.S. OFFER While U.S. officials have been at pains not to appear to be imposing a new leadership on Iraq, three years after U.S. troops left the country, President Barack Obama was quick to welcome the appointment. Wrangling over a new government since Iraqis elected a new parliament in April has been exploited by the Islamic State to seize much of the north and west. Obama has sent hundreds of U.S. military advisers and last week launched air strikes on the militants after they made dramatic gains against the Peshmerga forces of Iraq's autonomous ethnic Kurdish region, an ally of the Baghdad authorities. U.S. officials have said the Kurds are also receiving direct military aid and U.S. and British aircraft have dropped food and other supplies to terrified civilians, including from the Yazidi religious minority, who have taken refuge in remote mountains. Kerry, who on Monday had warned Maliki not to resort to force to hold on to power, said on Tuesday that Abadi could win more U.S. military and economic assistance. "We are prepared to consider additional political, economic and security options as Iraq's government starts to build a new government," he told a news conference in Australia, where he also reaffirmed that Washington would not send combat troops. "The best thing for stability in Iraq is for an inclusive government to bring the disaffected parties to the table and work with them in order to make sure there is the kind of sharing of power and decision-making that people feel confident the government represents all of their interests," Kerry added. It remains unclear how much support Maliki, who remains acting premier, has to obstruct the formation of a new administration. One senior government official told Reuters that his fears of a military standoff in the capital had eased: "Yesterday Baghdad was very tense," he said. "But key military commanders have since contacted the president and said they would support him and not Maliki." (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton in Sydney; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; editing by David Stamp) ==== 11 August 2014 Last updated at 17:49 Share this pagePrint ShareFacebookTwitter Profile: Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi PM in waiting By Mohamed Madi BBC News Iraqi newly elected parliament speaker Salim al-Juburi (C) stands between his deputies Haidar Al Abadi (L) and Aram Sheikh Mohamad (R) in Baghdad on July 15, 2014 Haider al-Abadi faces a stiff challenge, even from within the State of Law coalition he is part of Continue reading the main story Struggle for Iraq Rise of Islamic State Reluctant US return Why Irbil matters The peacock people Iraq's deputy speaker Haider al-Abadi has been nominated as the new prime minister by President Fuad Masum. One of Iraq's most senior politicians, he has held several high-profile posts since returning to Iraq from exile in 2003. He appears to have succeeded in usurping Nouri al-Maliki as the preferred candidate of the Shia State of Law parliamentary coalition, although Mr Maliki bitterly disputes his appointment. He has been charged with forming a new government within 30 days, and faces the task of rebuilding trust between the Iraqi government and the country's Kurds and Sunnis, who felt increasingly alienated under Mr Maliki. If successful, Mr Abadi will take over at a time of deep national crisis, as Islamic State militants have taken over large swathes of northern Iraq. Suffered under Saddam Born in 1952 in Baghdad, Mr Abadi studied electrical engineering at the University of Baghdad in 1975. In 1981, he completed a PhD at the University of Manchester in the UK. He worked as an industry adviser and consultant in the UK during this time. For much of the 80s and 90s, he was exiled from Iraq because he was a member of the Islamic Dawa party, an Iraqi Shia opposition organisation. A file picture dated 01 July 2014, showing Iraqi lawmaker Haider al-Abadi Haider al-Abadi has been at the top of Iraqi politics since returning from exile in 2003 Mr Abadi says two of his brothers were killed and another imprisoned for 10 years during Saddam Hussein's rule. They were all Islamic Dawa members. After returning to Iraq in 2003, he became minister of communications in the Iraqi governing council, and has served as an MP since 2006. He has headed several Iraqi parliamentary committees, including those for finance and economics. Moderate but firm Mr Abadi has long been tipped as a potential prime-ministerial candidate, having been in contention for the top job in both 2006 and 2010. Analysts are generally agreed that Mr Abadi is a less divisive figure than Nouri Maliki. However, this tells us little as the bar for that comparison is so low. The political background of both is rooted in the Islamic Dawa party, which in the 1970s waged an armed insurgency against the Baath regime. Former foreign office diplomat Gerard Russell says that because of this, Mr Abadi is not too distant politically from his rival. Iraqi President Fuad Masum (2nd L) shakes hands with deputy parliamentary speaker Haidar al-Abadi who has been tasked with forming a government ( image from Iraqi state TV) The president (2nd left) has asked Mr Abadi (right) to form a government "He comes from a very similar background" he says. But he adds that, within the Dawa party, both men have taken differing approaches. "Al-Abadi is a very clever man, and is a politician by background. Maliki had something more of an underground background" he says. He will also be more attractive abroad, Mr Russell says. "His name would probably not have been put forward without the approval of the Americans and the Iranians" he says. "Of the three elected post-war prime ministers, he's certainly the most fluent in English and understands the West better" he adds. Ranj Alaaldin, an Iraq specialist and visiting scholar at Columbia University, met Mr Abadi in April, during the Iraqi parliamentary elections. He says Mr Abadi is seen as a moderate within the Dawa party, and has shown more of a willingness to compromise than his predecessor. "He is very engaging, articulate and direct" he says. He warns however though that we shouldn't expect radical changes from Mr Abadi, who still largely represents a specific subset of Iraqi society. "He is still a politician with constituencies mainly in the south of Iraq among the Shias, and so his policies will reflect that" Mr Alaaldin says. IS threat When it comes to halting the advance of the self-declared "caliphate" of the Islamic State, Mr Abadi is unlikely to give an inch. He told the Huffington Post in June that he would be prepared to "take any assistance, even from Iran" in the fight against IS militants. Supporters of outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki carry his pictures and placards reading in Arabic "Maliki is our choice' during a demonstration in central Baghdad, Iraq, 11 August 2014. Nouri al-Maliki still has supporters who could make life difficult for Mr Abadi "If US air strikes [happen], we don't need Iranian air strikes. If they don't, then we may need Iranian strikes" he said in the interview. But he also admitted that there had been "excesses" by Iraqi security forces. "We have to listen to the grievances, some of which are right and some of which are false". Ranj Alaaldin says that during the militant insurgency in Anbar province, Mr Abadi believed that a strong military response was required in the short term but "stressed the importance of national dialogue and reconciliation in the longer term". Mr Abadi's confirmation as prime minister is still not a foregone conclusion, as Mr Maliki and his remaining allies are mounting a fierce last stand. If confirmed however, Mr Abadi's troubles will have only just begun. He faces the unenviable task of defeating a fearsome militant foe with a rattled army and vast areas of the country outside his control. He will need to bring to bear all his powers of persuasion and influence to stand a chance. ================= Hanif Zarrabi-Kashani | August 11, 2014 5:00pm Iran Headlines: Nuri al-Maliki, Tehran Plane Crash, and Bijan Zangeneh Iran Iraq Iran Press Report Iranian Economy iraqi government islamist extremism Share on emailShare on twitterShare on facebookShare on linkedin Share on google_plusone_shareShare on stumbleuponShare on redditShare on print Iraqis gather to support Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Baghdad. IRAQ A hard-line Javon Online report asks, “Who is the United States at war with, (Nuri) al-Maliki or the Islamic State (ISIS)?” The writer cites that “for the past two months ISIS sized the important city of Mosul, committed mass murder, pillaged property, and violated the dignity of the Iraqi people…so why is the United States now finally intervening?” The writer concludes that “the primary goal of the United States is to use ISIS as a tool to persuade and force (Prime Minister Nuri) al-Maliki to step down.” In a Khabar Online interview, Tehran University professor Hojatoleslam Rasoul Jafarian claimed that Nuri al-Maliki is politically “finished.” Jafarian also warned that, “American air strikes against ISIS in Iraq won’t accomplish much,” and that “although combat troops on the ground is the only way to destroy ISIS, history show us that the Kurds never venture out of their region (to fight).” A hard-line Raja News editorial concludes, “With religious-political leaders Ammar al-Hakim, (the head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq), and Muqtada al-Ṣadr seemingly united behind Haider al-Ibadi, (the newly named Prime Minister of Iraq) is in a better political position than Nuri al-Maliki.” ECONOMY AND ENERGY An ISNA report described last week’s widely reported oil-for-goods deal with Russia as an “ambiguous memorandum of understanding (MoU) that was signed in silence in Moscow by Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh and Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak.” The report asks, “Where is (Bijan) Zanganeh?” And additionally inquires as to why neither Zangeneh, nor his deputies will respond or clarify details about the deal. According to Mehr News Agency, during an event with Chinese business officials in Qom, Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani emphasized Iran’s long standing trade ties with China and said, “Based on our recent negotiations with Chinese officials, we look forward to signing a number of trade and investment agreements in the near future.” During a meeting with Iran’s ambassadors, President Hassan Rouhani was quoted as saying, “We have brought the 45 percent inflation rate down 14 percent and we are determined to bring it below 25 percent by the end of the year.” SOCIETY A senior official in Iran’s Health Ministry told ISNA that the eight survivors of yesterday’s plane crash in Tehran are currently being treated at Shahid Beheshti hospital, and that “two of the surviving passengers are doing better but remain in the intensive care unit, two survivors are well enough to be discharged, while the remaining four other survivors will continue to receive treatment at the hospital.” According to reports, 39 people were killed on August 10, when an Iran-140 Sepahan Air passenger plane crashed after takeoff from Tehran's Mehrabad Airport. Parvin Dadandish, a women's affairs adviser to President Hassan Rouhani was quoted by ISNA as describing a recent plan to reduce the role of women in office-management jobs as “unfair,” and added, “This is a huge injustice, and this type of oppression is inconsistent with religious piety.” ================================= المرجع الاعلى للشيعة علي السيستاني يزيل لقب اية الله العظمى من موقعه على الانترنت في خطوة وصفها متخصصون بانها جاءت تواضعاً. 2014 is the first elections Maliki won. In 2006 and 2010 others won and he became PM. So can his supporters chillax about the votes issue. @waaltaee @mashabani other Shia parties got almost same percentage of vote as he did, if Iraqis didn't oppose they certainly didn't support. Maliki will most likely split from Dawa and form his own party out of SoL remnants (a la Jaafari) Walaa Al-Taee ‏@waaltaee 1h @mashabani @SajadJiyad Not a supporter, but Aside from Sunnis/Kurds, very few Iraqis opposed Maliki until Sistani implied he needed to go. Maliki claims foul play as Abadi’s support grows Maliki claims foul play as Abadi’s support grows Iraqis hold giant portraits of Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during a demonstration to support him on Aug. 11, 2014 in Baghdad's central Saadoun Street after Maliki said he was filing a complaint against the president for violating the constitution. (AMER AL-SAEDI/AFP/Getty Images) By BEN LANDO AND STAFF of Iraq Oil Report Published Monday, August 11th, 2014 Three quarters of the members of the pan-Shia National Alliance turned against Nouri al-Maliki on Monday, backing Deputy Parliament Speaker Haider al-Abadi, a former Maliki stalwart and Dawa Party leader, to take over as prime minister. By late afternoon, Abadi was on television with President Fuad Massum and other former Maliki allies being formally and publicly tasked with forming the next government. Meanwhile, Maliki's remaining supporters took to local and social media, threatening laws... ========= Meet Haider al-Abadi, the man named Iraq’s new prime minister More By Adam Taylor August 11 at 10:17 AM Iraq's president on Monday named Haider al-Abadi as the country's new prime minister, an appointment that came amid speculation that the embattled incumbent, Nouri al-Maliki, would cling to power even after his country had dissolved into chaos and the United States made it clear that it would not support him as leader anymore. But who is Abadi? Born in Baghdad in 1952, Abadi was educated at the University of Baghdad and later received a doctorate from the University of Manchester in Britain. He lived in Britain for many years after his family was targeted by Saddam Hussein's Baathist regime. He was trained as an electrical engineer, but he entered politics after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He became minister of communications in the Iraqi Governing Council in September 2003, then was a key adviser to Maliki in Iraq's first post-invasion elected government. Just weeks ago, he was elected deputy speaker of parliament, and he has been considered a contender for prime minister after the past two elections. The bigger question, however, is whether Abadi will be able to overcome the challenges confronting Iraq more successfully than Maliki. Like Maliki, he's a Shiite Muslim and is a member of the ruling State of Law coalition. One of the chief criticisms of Maliki was that he entrenched Iraq's sectarian politics, filling the government with Shiite politicians and limiting Sunni and Kurdish power. Earlier this summer, Abadi gave a striking interview to the Huffington Post's Mehdi Hasan in which he discussed the possibility of Iranian intervention in the fight against the Islamic State, the Sunni extremist group that has taken over vast swaths of Iraq. "We are waiting for the Americans to give us support," he said in the June interview. "If U.S. air strikes [happen], we don't need Iranian air strikes. If they don't, then we may need Iranian strikes." Abadi has also had differences with Iraq's Kurdish community at points: Last year he warned that a dispute over Iraqi Kurdistan's oil exports could lead to the "disintegration" of the country, and he was criticized by Kurdish politicians during the negotiations over the 2013 budget. However, Abadi does seem to be aware that the Iraqi government and security forces have made serious mistakes in the current conflict. He told Hasan that the government needs to listen to stories of the "excesses" of the security forces to decide how to respond. And he was clear that Iraq needed to avoid being dragged into the type of war the Islamic State clearly desires. "We have to be careful not to become involved in a sectarian war," he told Hasan. "Shias are not against Sunnis and Sunnis are not against Shias." Reidar Visser, an academic expert on Iraqi politics, says that although Abadi comes from the same political faction as Maliki, he enjoys much broader support, especially from Kurds and Sunnis.

Part of this is his more distinguished background. "Many of the elites from the governing council-era consider him one of their own in terms of a prestigious family background, whereas Maliki was seen as more of an upstart from humble origins," Visser notes in an e-mail. "Things like that count in the (old-fashioned and traditional) Iraqi establishment."

Hayder al-Khoei, an associate fellow at Chatham House in London who follows Iraqi politics, says that Abadi has a reputation for skilled diplomacy, and has a much better chance of forming a national-unity government than his predecessor. "Without Maliki it isn't going to be easy," Khoei explains, "[But] with Maliki it will be impossible." Khoei added that it remains to be seen exactly how Maliki will react to the appointment. "To give you an indication of how bad the situation is, many are now worried about Abadi's physical security," he said. President Fouad Massoum, a Kurd, seemed confident Monday that Abadi could lead the country. “Now the Iraqi people are in your hands,” he said as he shook Abadi's hand. Now Iraq waits to see whether Maliki will acquiesce. Rick Noack contributed to this report. ======================== Noticed several Kurds begin questioning Abadi nomination because of Baghdad-KRG dispute and that he has similar policies & views as Maliki Maliki defiant as his special forces deploy in Baghdad ==== Iraq president names new PM but Maliki hangs tough Mon, Aug 11 12:13 PM EDT image 1 of 13 By Michael Georgy and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's president named a new prime minister to replace Nuri al-Maliki on Monday, urging him to form a broad government that can stem communal bloodshed, but it was unclear whether Maliki would bow to U.S. and Iranian pressure to step aside. A Shi'ite Muslim blamed by erstwhile allies in Washington and Tehran as well as Baghdad for driving the alienated Sunni minority into revolt, Maliki deployed loyal militias and special forces in the capital on Monday after making a defiant speech accusing the head of state of abusing the constitution. Militants from the Islamic State, who routed Maliki's army in the north in June, made new gains over Kurdish forces despite three days of U.S. air strikes and Baghdad, long braced for the Sunni fighters to attack the city, was now tensing for possible clashes between Maliki and rivals within the Shi'ite majority. There was no immediate reaction from Maliki to the naming of Haider al-Abadi as prime minister. However, Maliki's son-in-law, a close political ally, told Reuters that he would seek to overturn the nomination in the courts. President Fouad Masoum asked Abadi, a leader of Maliki's Islamic Dawa Party, to lead an administration that can win the support of a parliament elected in April. In remarks broadcast on television, Masoum, an ethnic Kurd, urged him to "form a broader-based government" over the next month. Abadi himself, who spent decades in exile in Britain during the rule of Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, urged national unity against the "barbaric" Islamic State, which has driven tens of thousands from their homes as it swept Baghdad's troops from the north and west to consolidate a "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria. "We all have to cooperate to stand against this terrorist campaign launched on Iraq and to stop all terrorist groups," he said in broadcast remarks after meeting Masoum. Maliki, 60, who emerged from obscurity to become prime minister in 2006 under U.S. occupation, may not go quietly. "We will not stay silent," his son-in-law Hussein al-Maliki said. "The nomination is illegal and a breach of the constitution. We will go to the federal court to object." U.S. WARNING After Washington endorsed Masoum's attempts to break three months of post-election political deadlock that have hamstrung Baghdad's response to the Islamic State, Secretary of State John Kerry called on Maliki not to resort to force or "stir the waters" when Iraqis were seeking a change of leader. In pointed remarks, he said: "The government formation process is critical in terms of sustaining stability and calm in Iraq and our hope is that Mr. Maliki will not stir those waters. "There will be little international support of any kind whatsoever for anything that deviates from the legitimate constitution process that is in place and being worked on now." As police and elite armed units, many equipped and trained by the United States, locked down the capital's streets, Kerry added: "There should be no use of force, no introduction of troops or militias in this moment of democracy for Iraq." Serving in a caretaker capacity since the inconclusive election on April 30, Maliki has defied calls by Sunnis, Kurds, fellow Shi'ites, regional power broker Iran and Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric to step aside for a less polarizing figure. "Maliki knows it is very difficult to gain a third term and is playing a high-stakes game to try and ensure his authority and influence continue into the new government, despite who may officially become prime minister," said Kamran Bokhari, a Middle East specialist at analysis firm Stratfor. Washington is losing patience with Maliki, who has placed Shi'ite political loyalists in key positions in the army and military and drawn comparisons with Saddam, the man he plotted against from Iranian exile for decades. Before Abadi's nomination, a U.S. State Department spokeswoman reaffirmed support for a "a prime minister who can represent the aspirations of the Iraqi people by building a national consensus and governing in an inclusive manner". "We reject any effort to achieve outcomes through coercion or manipulation of the constitutional or judicial process," she said in a statement, adding that the United States "fully supports" Masoum as guarantor of Iraq's constitution. MILITARY AID U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Iraqi politicians to form a more inclusive government that can counter the growing threat from the Islamic State, though he has rejected calls in some quarters for a return of U.S. troops other than in the form of several hundred military advisers sent in June. The group, which sees Iraq's majority Shi'ites as infidels who deserve to be killed, has ruthlessly moved through one town after another, using tanks and heavy weapons it seized from soldiers who have fled in their thousands. On Monday, police said the fighters had seized the town of Jalawla, 115 km (70 miles) northeast of Baghdad, after driving out the forces of the autonomous Kurdish regional government. Washington and its European allies are considering requests for more direct military aid from the Kurds, who have themselves differed with Maliki over the division of oil resources and took advantage of the Islamists' advance to expand their territory. On Sunday, a government minister said Islamic State militants had killed hundreds of people from the small, Kurdish-speaking Yazidi religious sect, burying some alive and taking women as slaves. No confirmation was available of the killings. Thousands of Yazidis have taken refuge in the past week on the arid heights of Mount Sinjar, close to the Syrian border. The bloodshed could increase pressure on Western powers to do more to help those who have fled the Islamic State's offensive. They have already dropped supplies and U.S. aircraft have been bombing the militants since Friday. (Writing by Alastair Macdonald; editing by David Stamp) =========== Exactly, the excuse was that even if their "larger" bloc had the right to nominate whomever they want, it has to be from the Qanoon "the biggest group in the bloc" , 3bady seems to fit that criterion, so things should move on. =============================== I mean besides his party, everyone wants him out, so that is the majority and democracy at work, what is his deal? may be he is trying to protect the theft by his clan. Who knows where the truth lies. I hope its just twitter talk, but right now, Google News is full of reports if u write "Iraq Coup" under the search section. Whats also weird is, the facebook and twitter pages of State of Law are contradecting each other, one in support the other (twitter account), said; "the prime-minister is representing himself and only himself in the speech". It later on got deleted and reopened with pro-Maliki statements. Like Jeleel said, in his speech he did an attack on the president. 90 minutes before the speech, there was troop movement. By the end of the speech, they had secured all the strategic areas in Baghdad, sourrounded Al-Rasheed hotel (where a lot of politicians are) and sorrounded the Green Zone. Something a police official said is only seen during a state of emergency. Yet, on tv. I only see Sharqiyah News and Al-Arabiyah working on this news. There could be 3 possibilities. 1. Maliki is bluffing and showing them his strength, "just in case" they decide to choose someone with more hair and charisma, like he said in his speech, the actions of the president will have grave consequences. 2. Its a coup. Allah Yustoor. 3. Its nothing, just a security movement. Last edited by Al-Kazmawi : Yesterday at 08:22 PM. I dont think my work connections within the Sports Ministry, Olympic Fedaration nor the Football Association can help much but many of the members in here, of aliraqi, seem to come from the aristrocratic elite of Iraq. They know everything, their sources are mainly; "my cousin", "my brother", "my uncle"... continued by "who works for..." and then a long line of bullshit serving their sectarian agenda. As for the Coup/no-Coup... I dont know, my sources right now, are the people i follow on twitter - people with actual connections and not the guys in here with invisible friends. That said, I'm not happy with the amount of sources i have, thats why im asking you people if ur hearing anything. The sources i read on twitter or choose to follow are creating scenarios and are watching this, asking themselves; what the hell is happening? why now, why after the speech, why sorround these areas? and why is the state of law doing a cyber war on itself? and so on. Giving their knowledge on Iraqi political history, thats why this news is hyped up. We've seen this a dozen of times before and even if it isnt a coup... this might "just" be some muscle flexing... the disturbing part about that, would be... Malikis strength and how fast he managed to close down Baghdad.. and this is very dangerous to know, because he is most likely not going to continue as PM and what will he do next time, if thats the case? On the other hand, the bull*****rs on twitter are saying there is bombs, gunfights, maliki doing a one and one knife fight with Masum and etc. Obviously bullshit. You'll know from the way they write, a bunch of 3arabanchiyah with a twitter account. خطيه العبادي صار كبش الفداء وبعد يومين يطلع بوجه مصخم عندما تقول المحكمة الاتحادية كلمة الفصل Linear Abadi had become a scapegoat after two brief in Federal Court says mskhm when your chapter (Translated by Bing) مبروك للعراق ! ======== : أبارك جميع العراقيين من دهوك الى البصرة ومن الانبار الى ديالى بالتداول السلمي للسلطات الثلاثة. ما تزال هناك عدة شواغر يجب ملئها قريباً لغرض المباشرة بتوحيد صفوف العراقيين من كل القوميات والاديان والطوائف لمحاربة اعداء العراق من ارهابيي القاعدة وداعش والمليشيات خارج القانون. على السلطات الثلاثة البدأ بسن قانون تحديد دورات رئيس الوزراء بإثنين لكي لا يمر العراق بمثل هذه المحنة مرة اخرى. كما وعليهم اعادة بناء الجيش العراقي على اسس وطنية وليست قومية وطائفية. كما وادعوهم الى ان يباشروا بحملة تنمية روح المواطنة وشعور الانتماء للعراق اولاً لكي يشعر ابناء كربلاء بأن الحكومة تمثلهم مثلما يشعر ابناء اربيل وابناء نينوى بانهم ينتمون لهذا البلد الذي يجمعنا تحت خيمة واحدة وراية واحدة اسمه ((( العراق ))) الف مبروك لكل من نادى للديموقراطية الف مبروك لدعاة الحق و العدل الف مبروك لرافضي الطغاة و السلاطين الف مبروك لجميع العراقيين و نعم للتغيير و النصر للعراق . جعل الله مقدمه مقدم خير على العراقيين و نهاية الاستئثار و التشبث بالسلطة و المناصب . 6 hrs · Unlike · 1 Whether Imam Hussein A.S or Imam Sistani is with Al-Maliki or not but his own DAWA to dump him soon. Those who rode and came to Power on American's wish need to listen ringing bell otherwise, its too late. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=755426691186297 زين اذا الكل ما تريده ، رشحوا غيره كونوا كتلة وقدموا مرشح وماكو اسهل من حصوله على الاغلبية حتى كتلته تكدر تسوي نفس الشئ المشكلة ماكو احد دا يقدم اسماء بديلة تطلع وتحجي و تقترح و تعلن الكل معترض بس ماكو تقديم اسم بديل لانه اذا صوتوا اكثرية ضده خلص، يركع راسه بالحايط الموضوع شكله ابتزاز سياسي ممكن بعده الموافقة على المالكي بعد سعر و ثمن معين اشار الكاتب الاماراتي عبدالله جمعة الحاج في مقال له في صحيفة "الاتحاد" الاماراتية الى ان "دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي تنظر إلى العراق على أنه ميدان صراع ضمن صراعها الجيوستراتيجي الأوسع مع إيران، بمعنى أن المكاسب السياسية التي تحققها ايران في العراق ينظر إليها على أنها بمثابة مكاسب لإيران ذاتها وخسائر للدول الخمس". وحذر الكاتب من تحول العراق "أرضاً جديدة لتفريخ الجماعات والمنظمات الإرهابية التي ترى نفسها بأنها في حرب مع أنظمة الحكم في المنطقة ومع دول الغرب كافة، انطلاقاً من مبدأ دار الإسلام ودار الحرب، فمثل هذه المنظمات يطيب غرامها وتنمو وتنتعش في المناطق والدول التي توجد بها حروب طائفية وأهلية، والأمر الثاني هو أنه بوجود الحرب الأهلية الدائرة الآن في العراق، عندما يضاف إليها ما يحدث في سوريا ولبنان، فإن الأمر سيعني صراعاً طائفياً على أساس مذهبي وطائفي واسع النطاق يبدأ من سوريا ولبنان مروراً بالعراق وربما دول خليجية أخرى". 1 hr · بعض الناس اختفوا من الفيس يذكروني بجماهير الريال والبرشا من واحد بيهم يخسر!! Some people disappeared from the Elvis they remind me of the real walbrsha fans of one of them lost!! (Translated by Bing) احلى شي من تكون انت مهتم بالدوري الانكليزي و تظل تضحك على الصوبين.. هم البرشا و هم الريال!!! هيه هاي احله شي زي حلاتنه راحوا يدربون على اللواكه الجديده هههه سبحان الله عبالك الي اب گلبي كتبته ============= Iraqi Shi'ite coalition close to nominating prime minister Mon, Aug 11 05:00 AM EDT image 1 of 13 By Michael Georgy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A bloc comprising Iraq's biggest Shi'ite parties is close to nominating a prime minister, the deputy speaker of parliament said on Monday, directly challenging Nuri al-Maliki who has refused to give up his bid for a third term. Haider al-Abadi's comments in a tweet came after police sources said special forces and Shi'ite militias personally loyal to Maliki had been deployed in strategic areas of Baghdad after he made a defiant speech on television suggesting he would not cave in to pressure to drop his bid to stay in office following a parliamentary election held in April. Abadi is seen as a possible successor to Maliki, who has been premier since 2006 but has alienated some allies, including the United States, who blame him for failing to forge consensus and so fuelling sectarian violence that is breaking Iraq apart. In his tweet, Abadi said government forces were moving around the capital in anticipation of security breaches. Police set up checkpoints at major intersections, some with armored vehicles, and many roads were closed. Maliki accused Iraqi President Fouad Masoum, from the ethnic Kurdish minority, of violating the constitution by missing a deadline for him to ask the biggest political bloc in the new legislature to nominate a prime minister and form a government. "I will submit today an official complaint to the federal court against the president of the Republic for committing a clear constitutional violation for the sake of political calculations," Maliki said in the televised speech. Serving in a caretaker capacity since the inconclusive election in April, Maliki has defied calls by Sunnis, Kurds, some fellow Shi'ites, regional power broker Iran and Iraq's top cleric to step aside for a less polarizing figure. Critics accuse Maliki of pursuing a sectarian agenda which has sidelined minority Sunni Muslims and prompted some of them to support Islamic State militants, whose latest sweep through northern Iraq has alarmed the Baghdad government and its Western allies, prompting U.S. air strikes in recent days. "Maliki knows it is very difficult to gain a third term and is playing a high-stakes game to try and ensure his authority and influence continue into the new government, despite who may officially become prime minister," said Kamran Bokhari, a Middle East specialist at analysis firm Stratfor. MALIKI UNDER FIRE Washington seems to be losing patience with Maliki, who has placed Shi'ite political loyalists in key positions in the army and military and drawn comparisons with executed former dictator Saddam Hussein, the man he plotted against from exile for years. A State Department spokeswoman reaffirmed Washington's support for a "process to select a prime minister who can represent the aspirations of the Iraqi people by building a national consensus and governing in an inclusive manner". "We reject any effort to achieve outcomes through coercion or manipulation of the constitutional or judicial process," she said in a statement, adding that the United States "fully supports" Masoum as guarantor of Iraq's constitution. U.S. President Barack Obama has urged Iraqi politicians to form a more inclusive government that can counter the growing threat from the Islamic State. But Maliki, an unknown when he first took office in 2006 with help from the United States, is digging in. "Now we can see unprecedented deployment of army commandos and special elite forces deployed in Baghdad, especially sensitive areas close to the green zone and the entrances of the capital," one of the police sources said. "These forces are now taking full responsibility of securing these areas of the capital." Iraq's Interior Ministry has told police to be on high alert in connection with Maliki's speech, a police official told Reuters. MORE U.S. AIR STRIKES The Islamic State has capitalized on the political deadlock and sectarian tensions, making fresh gains after arriving in the north of the country in June from Syria. The group, which sees Iraq's majority Shi'ites as infidels who deserve to be killed, has ruthlessly moved through one town after another, using tanks and heavy weapons it seized from soldiers who have fled in their thousands. Islamic State militants have killed hundreds of Iraq's minority Yazidis, burying some alive and taking women as slaves, an Iraqi government minister said on Sunday, as U.S. warplanes again bombed the insurgents. Human rights minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani accused the Sunni Muslim militants - who have ordered the community they regard as "devil worshippers" to convert to Islam or die - of celebrating what he called a "a vicious atrocity". No independent confirmation was available of the killings. Thousands of Yazidis have taken refuge in the past week on the arid heights of Mount Sinjar, close to the Syrian border. The bloodshed could increase pressure on Western powers to do more to help tens of thousands of people, including many from religious and ethnic minorities, who have fled the Islamic State's offensive. The U.S. Central Command said drones and jet aircraft had hit Islamic State armed trucks and mortar positions near Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region which had been relatively stable throughout the past decade until insurgents swept across northwestern Iraq this summer. That marked a third successive day of U.S. air strikes, and Central Command said that they were aimed at protecting Kurdish peshmerga forces as they face off against the militants near Arbil, the site of a U.S. consulate and a U.S.-Iraqi joint military operations center. The Islamists' advance in the past week has forced tens of thousands to flee, threatened Arbil and provoked the first U.S. attacks since Washington withdrew troops from Iraq in late 2011, nearly nine years after invading to oust Saddam Hussein. WOMEN HELD AS SLAVES Consolidating a territorial grip that includes tracts of Syrian desert and stretches toward Baghdad, the Islamic State's local and foreign fighters have swept into areas where non-Sunni groups live. While they persecute non-believers in their path, that does not seem to be the main motive for their latest push. The group wants to establish religious rule in a caliphate straddling Syria and Iraq and has tapped into widespread anger among Iraq's Sunnis at a democratic system dominated by the Shi'ite Muslim majority following the U.S. invasion of 2003. Sudani said: "The terrorist Islamic State has also taken at least 300 Yazidi women as slaves and locked some of them inside a police station in Sinjar and transferred others to the town of Tal Afar. We are afraid they will take them outside the country. "In some of the images we have obtained there are lines of dead Yazidis who have been shot in the head while the Islamic State fighters cheer and wave their weapons over the corpses," he added. "This is a vicious atrocity." Iraqis have slipped back into sectarian bloodshed not seen since 2006-2007 - the peak of a civil war. Nearly every day police report kidnappings, bombings and execution-style killings. The Sunni militants routed Kurds in their latest advance with tanks, artillery, mortars and vehicles seized from fleeing Iraqi troops. The militants are now just 30 minutes' drive from Arbil. In their latest sweep through the north, the Sunni insurgents seized a fifth oil field, several more villages and the biggest dam in Iraq - which could give them the ability to flood cities or cut off water and power supplies - hoisting their black flags along the way. After spending more than $2 trillion on its war in Iraq and losing thousands of soldiers, the United States must now find ways to tackle a group that is even more hardline than al-Qaeda and has threatened to march on Baghdad. (Editing by Jeremy Laurence and Alastair Macdonald) ============= Sun, Aug 10 22:23 PM EDT image 1 of 13 By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Special forces loyal to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki were deployed in strategic areas of Baghdad on Sunday night after he delivered a tough speech indicating he would not cave in to pressure to drop a bid for a third term, police sources said. Pro-Maliki Shi'ite militias stepped up patrols in the capital, police said. An eyewitness said a tank was stationed at the entrance to Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses government buildings. In a speech on state television, Maliki accused Iraq's Kurdish President Fouad Masoum of violating the constitution by missing a deadline for him to ask the biggest political bloc to nominate a prime minister and form a government. "I will submit today an official complaint to the federal court against the president of the Republic for committing a clear constitutional violation for the sake of political calculations," said Maliki. Serving in a caretaker capacity since an inconclusive election in April, Maliki has defied calls by Sunnis, Kurds, some fellow Shi'ites, regional power broker Iran and Iraq's top cleric for him to step aside for a less polarising figure. Critics accuse Maliki of pursuing a sectarian agenda which has sidelined Sunnis and prompted some of them to support Islamic State militants, whose latest sweep through northern Iraq has alarmed the Baghdad government and its Western allies. Washington seems to be losing patience with Maliki, who has placed Shi'ite political loyalists in key positions in the army and military and drawn comparisons with executed former dictator Saddam Hussein, the man he plotted against from exile for years. The United States voiced its support for Masoum after Maliki, whom Washington has blamed for stoking Iraq's security crisis, criticised him.

"We reaffirm our support for a process to select a prime minister who can represent the aspirations of the Iraqi people by building a national consensus and governing in an inclusive manner," Deputy State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement. "We reject any effort to achieve outcomes through coercion or manipulation of the constitutional or judicial process," Harf said, adding that the United States "fully supports" Masoum in his role as the guarantor of Iraq's constitution.

U.S. President Barack Obama urged Iraqi politicians on Saturday to form a more inclusive government that can counter the growing threat from the Islamic State. But Maliki keeps digging in. "Now we can see unprecedented deployment of army commandos and special elite forces deployed in Baghdad, especially sensitive areas close to the green zone and the entrances of the capital," one of the police sources said. "These forces are now taking full responsibility of securing these areas of the capital." Iraq's Interior Ministry has told police to be on high alert in connection with Maliki's speech, a police official told Reuters. The Islamic State has capitalised on political deadlock and sectarian tensions that have made it easier for the group to make fresh gains after arriving in the north in June from Syria. The group, which sees Shi'ites as infidels who deserve to be killed, has ruthlessly moved through one town after another, using tanks and heavy weapons it seized from soldiers who fled in the thousands. Islamic State militants have killed hundreds of Iraq's minority Yazidis, burying some alive and taking women as slaves, an Iraqi government minister said on Sunday, as U.S. warplanes again bombed the insurgents. Human rights minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani accused the Sunni Muslim insurgents - who have ordered the community they regard as "devil worshippers" to convert to Islam or die - of celebrating what he called a "a vicious atrocity". No independent confirmation was available of the killings of hundreds of Yazidis, bloodshed that could increase pressure on Western powers to do more to help tens of thousands of people, including many from religious and ethnic minorities, who have fled the Islamic State's offensive. The U.S. Central Command said drones and jet aircraft had hit Islamic State armed trucks and mortar positions near Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region which had been relatively stable throughout the past decade of turmoil until the insurgents swept across northwestern Iraq this summer. That marked a third successive day of U.S. air strikes, and Central Command said in its statement that they were aimed at protecting Kurdish peshmerga forces as they face off against the militants near Arbil, the site of a U.S. consulate and a U.S.-Iraqi joint military operations centre. The U.S. State Department said on Sunday it had pulled some of its staff from the Arbil consulate for their safety. The Islamists' advance in the past week has forced tens of thousands to flee, threatened Arbil and provoked the first U.S. attacks since Washington withdrew troops from Iraq in late 2011, nearly nine years after invading to oust Saddam Hussein. Iraqi rights minister Sudani told Reuters in a telephone interview that accounts of the killings had come from people who had escaped the town of Sinjar, an ancient home of the Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking community whose religion has set them apart from Muslims and other local faiths. "We have striking evidence obtained from Yazidis fleeing Sinjar and some who escaped death, and also crime scene images that show indisputably that the gangs of the Islamic State have executed at least 500 Yazidis after seizing Sinjar," he said. "Some of the victims, including women and children were buried alive in scattered mass graves in and around Sinjar." Consolidating a territorial grip that includes tracts of Syrian desert and stretches toward Baghdad, the Islamic State's local and foreign fighters have swept into areas where non-Sunni groups live. While they persecute non-believers in their path, that does not seem to be the main motive for their latest push. The group wants to establish religious rule in a caliphate straddling Syria and Iraq and has tapped into widespread anger among Iraq's Sunnis at a democratic system dominated by the Shi'ite Muslim majority following the U.S. invasion of 2003. Obama warned on Saturday that there was no quick fix for the crisis that threatens to tear Iraq apart. Kurdish regional president Masoud Barzani urged his allies to send arms to help his forces hold off the militants, who have bases across the Syrian border. During a visit by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Barzani said: "We are not fighting a terrorist organisation, we are fighting a terrorist state." Another senior Kurdish official said Kurds retook two towns southwest of Arbil, Guwair and Makhmur, with the help of U.S. strikes. But he did not expect a rapid end to the fighting. In Jalawla, 115 km (70 miles) northeast of Baghdad, a suicide bomber killed 10 Kurdish forces and wounded 80 people on Sunday. Kurdish fighters and Islamic militants are locked in fierce clashes in the town. Fabius, noting how Islamic State fighters had taken the upper hand after seizing heavy weaponry from Iraqi troops who fled in June, said the European Union would look into bolstering the Kurds' arsenal to help them hold out and hit back. TAKEN AS "SLAVES" Sudani said: "The terrorist Islamic State has also taken at least 300 Yazidi women as slaves and locked some of them inside a police station in Sinjar and transferred others to the town of Tal Afar. We are afraid they will take them outside the country. "In some of the images we have obtained there are lines of dead Yazidis who have been shot in the head while the Islamic State fighters cheer and wave their weapons over the corpses," he added. "This is a vicious atrocity." U.S. military aircraft have dropped relief supplies to tens of thousands of Yazidis who are trapped on the desert top of nearby Mount Sinjar, seeking shelter from the insurgents. A spokesman for the U.N. refugee agency in Iraq said some 30,000 Iraqis had since Friday reached safety in Kurdistan after travelling on the Syrian side of the border from Sinjar. At the Vatican, Pope Francis held a silent prayer for victims of the Iraq conflict: "Thousands of people, among them many Christians, banished brutally from their houses, children dying of hunger and thirst as they flee, women kidnapped, people massacred, violence of all kinds," he said in a Sunday address. "All of this deeply offends God and deeply offends humanity." MALIKI CRITICISM France joined the calls for Iraq's feuding leaders to form an inclusive government capable of countering the militants. "Iraq is in need of a broad unity government," Foreign Minister Fabius said in Baghdad. "All Iraqis should feel they are represented to take part in this battle against terrorism." The pressure from France came a day after Obama described the upheaval in the north as a "wake-up call" to Iraqis who have slipped back into sectarian bloodshed not seen since 2006-2007. Nearly every day police report kidnappings, bombings and execution-style killings in many cities, towns and villages. In Baghdad, police were on Sunday manning some squares in armoured personnel carriers, an unusual sight. The Islamic State has met little resistance. Thousands of U.S.-trained Iraqi soldiers fled when its Arab and foreign fighters swept through northern Iraq from eastern Syria in June. The collapse of the Iraqi army prompted Kurds and Shi'ite militias to step in, with limited success. The Sunni militants routed Kurds in their latest advance with tanks, artillery, mortars and vehicles seized from fleeing Iraqi troops, calling into question the Kurds' reputation as fearsome warriors. Iranian-trained Shi'ite militias may stand a better chance than the Kurds but they are accused of kidnapping and killing Sunnis, playing into the hands of the Islamic State, which also controls a large chunk of western Iraq. After hammering Kurdish forces last week, the militants are just 30 minutes' drive from Arbil, the Iraqi Kurdish capital, which until now has been spared the sectarian bloodshed that has scarred other parts of Iraq for a decade. The possibility of an attack on Arbil has prompted foreigners working for oil companies to leave the city and Kurds to stock up on AK-47 assault rifles at the arms bazaar. In their latest sweep through the north, the Sunni insurgents seized a fifth oil field, several more villages and the biggest dam in Iraq - which could give them the ability to flood cities or cut off water and power supplies - hoisting their black flags up along the way. After spending more than $2 trillion on its war in Iraq and losing thousands of soldiers, the United States must now find ways to tackle a group that is even more hardline than al-Qaeda and has threatened to march on Baghdad. (Additional reporting by Mohammad Zargham and Missy Ryan in Washington; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Sandra Maler)