Thousands of Shia militiamen
parade through Baghdad in show of force as ISIS Islamists seize new border post
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Troops have rallied in Baghdad today in a
show of strength against Islamist militants attacking the country's north
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Around 30 Iraqi army troops were killed as
ISIS took control of Qaim on the eastern frontier with Syria
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It was also revealed that ISIS militants have
executed three soldiers from the rebel army fighting in Syria
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In the north east of the country Kurds and
Shiites have been pictured embracing after decades of violence
·
Local Shiite Muslims have given Kurdish
special forces a warm welcome after they helped to defend against ISIS
·
Yesterday UN Secretary General has
warned that possible US-led airstrikes against ISIS
fighters could backfire
·
So far U.S. President Barack Obama has held
off granting a request for airstrikes from Iraqi government
·
PM Nouri al-Maliki facing growing pressure to
resign over claims he has alienated Iraq's Sunni minority
Thousands
of Shiite militiamen have paraded through the streets of Baghdad and the
southern Iraqi cities of Basra and Amarah armed with rifles and heavy
weaponry in a display of strength against the bloodthirsty fanatics who have
seized much of the country's north.
In
Baghdad, about 20,000 men, many in combat gear, marched through the Sadr City
district with machine guns, multiple rocket launchers and missiles.
Similar
parades were held in the southern cities of Amarah and Basra, where troops
proudly displayed field artillery pieces hauled by heavy trucks.
The
display of military might from the government came as Kurdish special
forces and Iraqi civilians came together, after decades of violence, to show
unity in the face of the rampage by the Islamist militants.
As the
soldiers walked through the streets, loudspeakers played messages of strength,
proclaiming how they would protect Iraq from the onslaught of Sunni
forces.
In the
latest surge, ISIS forces took control of al-Qaim, a key strategic point on the
eastern frontier with Syria. Around 30 Iraqi troops were killed during the
fighting, suggesting the army may not be capable of dealing with the rebel
forces.
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Meanwhile in the north east of
the country, Kurdish special forces have received a warm welcome from Shiite
locals after defending them against ISIS
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The unlikely bond comes after
decades of violence between the two peoples, including a gas attack in 1988
which killed 5,000 Kurds in Halabja
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A member of Kurdish Peshmerga
forces scans the area with the scope of his rifle as he holds a position
overlooking Sunni militants led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
The
parades were staged by followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and came after
fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), and allied Sunni
militants, captured the crossing point.
The
seizure of the outpost punches a hole in the borders drawn by colonial powers
almost a century ago, paving the way for the creation of an Islamic Caliphate
from the Mediterranean Sea to Iran.
The
militants first moved into the nearby town of al-Qaim on Friday, pushing out
security forces, the sources said. Once border guards heard that al-Qaim had
fallen, they left their posts and militants moved in.
More...
Officials
in the border town, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not
authorized to talk to journalists, said people were now crossing back and forth
freely.
Chief
military spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi acknowledged Qaim's fall,
telling journalists that troops aided by local tribesmen sought to clear the
city of 'terrorists.'
The mayor
of Rawah, Hussein AIi al-Aujail, said Sunni militants captured the town
Saturday. The local army and police force pulled out when the militants took
control, he said.
He said
militants ransacked government offices in the town, along the Euphrates River
some 175 miles (275 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad.
Sunni
militants have carved out a large fiefdom along the Iraqi-Syrian border and
have long traveled back and forth with ease, but the control of crossings, like
the one in Qaim, allows them to more easily move weapons and heavy equipment to
different battlefields.
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Volunteers of the newly formed
'Peace Brigades' participate in a parade in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City,
Baghdad, in defiance of ISIS
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Iraqi volunteer soldiers salute
next to missiles in the Iraqi capital today during parades today as the
government braces itself for a possible attack by ISIS
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ISIS militants launched a
surprise assault on Iraqi having built up their forces in Syria, and have since
increased their firepower by looting arms off of fleeing troops
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The show of might saw armed
Shiite militiamen, followers of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, parade in the
northern oil rich province of Kirkuk, Iraq
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Shiite volunteers have been
pouring into Baghdad in their thousands to oppose Sunni insurgents ISIS after
watching them execute soldiers on television
Al-Qaim
and its neighbouring Syrian counterpart Albukamal are on a strategic supply
route. A three-year civil war in Syria has left most of the country's east in
the hands of Sunni militants, including the Albukamal-Qaim crossing.
The
Albukamal gate is run by al Qaeda's official Syria branch, the Nusra Front,
which has clashed with ISIS but has also agreed to localised truces when it
suits both sides.
The head
of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, Rami Abdulrahman,
said ISIS has pushed the Nusra Front out from many areas of eastern Syria in
the past few days and their capture of al-Qaim will allow them to quickly move
to the Syrian side.
On Friday
ISIS seized control of the areas of Hafez and Muhassen in Deir Ezzor.
ISIS
already controls territory around the Abukamal gate, effectively pinching the
Nusra Front between its forces in Syria and those in neighbouring Iraq, said
Abdulrahman, who tracks the violence.
Elsewhere
it was reported that ISIS militant executed three officers of the Western and
Arab-backed Free Syrian Army.
The
bullet-riddled bodies of the three were found on Friday, two days after
suspected Islamist militants kidnapped them in the oil-rich eastern province of
Deir Ezzor, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
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In Baghdad today soldiers
supporting the Iraqi government have marched in a show of strength against ISIS
militants who have seized most of the country's north
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About 20,000 men armed with
assault rifles, rocket launchers and machine guns marched through the city's
Sadr City, as similar rallies took place in Basra and Amarah
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Troops showed off missile
launchers and heavy artillery to match the howitzers and rockets seized by ISIS
rebels from fleeing troops in the north
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Holding rocket launchers, machine
guns assault rifles and dressed in combat gear, these volunteer soldiers
prepare to face off against ISIS
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Bikers join processions of
soldiers today in Baghdad in a show of strength against ISIS after the US
backed away from launching airstrikes
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While extremists have flooded
from across the world to join ISIS, thousands of Shiite volunteers have joined
to fight for the government
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Caught on the back foot, the
Iraqi government has appealed to the US for airstrikes to weaken ISIS, a move
which Barack Obama has so-far rejected
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The rallies came as ISIS took
control of a crossing between Syria and Iraq, potentially opening up a route to
create an Islamic Caliphate from The Mediterranean Sea to Iran
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Fighters also marched in support
of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr as he rallies troops against the largely
Sunni insurgents
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As government supporters gathered
in Iraq, it was announced that ISIS soldiers had executed three fighters for
anti-government rebels in Syria
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Mehdi Army fighters loyal to
Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr march during a parade in Kerbala after Moqtada
al-Sadr issued a call for unity, saying Shi'ites and Sunnis should rally behind
the authorities
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International leaders and Iraq's
Shiite religious elite have called on the country to unite to face off the
insurgent threat, with US Secretary of State John Kerry this weekend heading to
the Middle East
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Government forces are regrouping
after a series of early losses in which troops fled ISIS militants without
firing a single shot
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An Iraqi policeman stands guard
as the soldiers march through the streets. Many have questioned whether the
country's forces are capable of dealing with the rebel militants
The FSA
officers executed by the jihadists had been kidnapped in Hafez, the
Britain-based Observatory said.
Yesterday
the UN Secretary General ruled out possible airstrikes against ISIS fighters in
Iraq, saying they could be ineffective and backfire.
His
comments came as it emerged around 300 Iraqi troops battling for control of the
Bajji oil refinery are outnumbered and trapped in the facility.
The
refinery is the country's largest, 62 miles north of Samarra and any lengthy
outage risks long lines at the gas pump and electrical shortages.
According
to ABC News,
the militants have taken control of large parts of the refinery following a
four day battle and are willing to keep the government forces inside the
facility until they run out of ammunition.
A U.S.
military source told them: 'There is very little the Iraqi government can do to
save or liberate those guys.'
It is
thought that there are around 270 Iraqi government forces inside the refinery,
trying to hold off 300 to 500 ISIS fighters.
It had
been reported that fighting at the refinery had reached a stalemate after a
four day battle but witnesses have reported seeing black ISIS banners hanging
from the compound.
U.S.
President Barack Obama has offered up to 300 American troops to help coordinate
the fight against the militants, who are on a drive towards the capital Baghdad
but has so far held off granting a request for airstrikes from the Shi'ite-led
government.
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Government forces are trying to
stage a comeback after troops in the north fled their posts, leaving their
uniforms and weapons behind, when ISIS attacked
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Iraq is deviding along sectarian
lines as Shi'ite government forces battle a Sunni insurgency, and Kurdish
troops seize back territory in the north east
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Thousands of volunteers have
joined so-called peace brigades in Baghdad and elsewhere after witnessing ISIS
militants humiliating and executing troops and civilians
Announcing
the despatch of advisers, the president said he was prepared to take 'targeted'
military action later if deemed necessary, keeping open the prospect of air
strikes to fend off a militant insurgency.
However
Ban Ki-moon has urged the Iraqi government and its supporters not to retaliate
against Sunni communities in revenge for 'barbaric attacks' by the
al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Speaking
at the Asia Society on Syria he said that military strikes might have little
lasting effect or even be counter productive if there is no movement towards
inclusive government in Iraq.
Calling
sectarian warfare a disaster for all, he added: 'The Sunni extremists are
trying to show that the governments in Baghdad, Iran and the United States are
working together to support atrocities against Sunni communities.
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Samarra has a major Shi'ite
shrine at Al-Shoala and fighters have been preparing ready to protect holy
sites
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Shi'ite soldiers called the
al-Salam brigade have been in training ready to protect Shi'ite holy sites and
Christian churches in the Al-Shoala area
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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
has urged the Iraqi government and its supporters not to retaliate against
Sunni communities in revenge for 'barbaric attacks'
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Iraqi government forces were
gathering ready to strike back against ISIS fighters who were heading towards
the capital Baghdad but appear to be locked in a stalemate at the Baiji oil
refinery
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A pro-government fighter, left,
with a picture of murdered Iraqi-Shia leader Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr pinned to
his chest. The militants' lightning pace has slowed in the area north of the
capital, home to Sunnis but also to Shi'ites fearful of ISIS
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Strategic target: Smoke rises
from the Baiji oil refinery in northern Iraq which is at the centre of fierce
fighting between government troops and ISIS militants. Rebel forces have raised
the black jihadist banners and manned checkpoints around the facility despite
government forces insisting they were in 'complete control' of plant
'This
would help them mobilise support from the Sunni majority that does not share
the extremist' agenda. It is essential that the government of Iraq and its
supporters do everything possible to avoid falling into this trap.'
Today in
the area around Samarra, on the main highway 60 miles north of Baghdad, which
has become a frontline of the battle with ISIS, the provincial governor, a rare
Sunni supporter of Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, told cheering troops
they would now force ISIS and its allies back.
A source
close to the Mr Maliki said that the government planned to hit back now that is
had halted the advance which saw ISIS seize the main northern city Mosul, and
sweep down along the Sunni-populated Tigris Valley towards Baghdad.
Governor
Abdullah al-Jibouri, whose provincial capital Tikrit was overrun last week, was
shown on television on Friday telling soldiers in Ishaqi, just south of
Samarra: 'Today we are coming in the direction of Tikrit, Sharqat and Nineveh.
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Volunteers: Today swarms of Iraqi
men descended on army buildings to offer their support in the fight against the
Sunni militants
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Re-enforcements: While ISIS
regroup to continue their siege, Iraqi military officials are sizing up
citizens to see if they can build a stronger army to step up their defence
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Protest: This little boy
clutching a toy gun joins demonstrations against the ongoing offensive by Arab
Jihadists in northern and central Iraq
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videos
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'These troops
will not stop,' he added, saying government forces around Samarra numbered more
than 50,000.
This week,
the militants' lightning pace has slowed in the area north of the capital, home
to Sunnis but also to Shi'ites fearful of ISIS, which views them as heretics to
be wiped out.
Samarra
has a major Shi'ite shrine in the Al-Shoala area and fighters have been
preparing ready to protect the holy sites.
The
participation of Shi'ite militias and tens of thousands of new Shi'ite army
volunteers has allowed the Iraqi military to rebound after mass desertions by
soldiers last week allowed ISIS to carve out territory where it aims to found
an Islamic caliphate straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border.
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Armed and dangerous: Al-Qaeda
inspired militants stand with a captured Iraqi Army Humvee at a checkpoint
belonging to Iraqi Army outside the Baiji refinery
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On guard: A Sunni gunman stands
at a checkpoint near the Baiji oil refinery. It remained unclear who was
actually in control of the plant which accounts for almost a third of the
country's refining capacity
'The
strategy has been for the last few days to have a new defence line to stop the
advance of ISIL,' a close ally of Maliki told Reuters.
'We
succeeded in blunting the advance and now are trying to get back areas
unnecessarily lost.'
Earlier
today, Iraqi men descended on government and military buildings volunteering to
fight against the Jihadists.
As the
militant group re-evaluates its tactics, army officials spent all day sifting
through paper work and medical assessments of the volunteers in a bid to build
a stronger defence.
And
thousands of Shiites joined 'peace brigades' to defend Iraq's holiest sites.
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From above: Pictures from the
skies above the Baiji area on Thursday showed dramatic billows of black smoke
pouring from the complex
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The
Jihadis also launched a blitzkrieg hit on Twitter this morning, vowing to
'spread the truth' behind their brutal attacks that even Al Qaeda have
condemned.
Using the
hash tag #AllEyesOnIsis, extremist fighters flooded the social media site with
propaganda, luring vulnerable people to join them in Iraq.
And within
minutes, their stunt - which Twitter is powerless to block or moderate - was
met with chilling messages of support from countries all over the globe - from
Rome to Australia, Switzerland to America, Kenya to Nepal.
Meanwhile,
diplomats at working to free various groups of citizens captured by ISIS as
they make their way towards Baghdad.
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Volunteers: Men in balaclavas
march in the newly formed brigades near to the Imam Ali shrine
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Force: Masked men in military
uniform - some of which are holding flags - march following calls to protect
holy shrines in the holy city
CENTURIES
OLD DIVISIONS ARE FUELLING CURRENT IRAQ CONFLICT SAYS MIDDLE EAST EXPERT
Expert view:
Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security analyst at King's College London in Qatar
A Middle
East security analyst at King's College London in Qatar has told Mailonline a
disintegration of Iraq and a division of the country might be the only way to
solve the current turmoil in the country.
Andreas
Kreig says the sectarian dynamics between Sunni, Shi'ite and Kurds, which are
fuelling the current conflict, have existed for centuries.
And with
the problem of managing these dynamics becoming increasingly difficult, Mr
Kreig believes we will not see Iraq return to its pre-ISIS state with Prime
Minister Nouri al-Maliki as its head.
He
explained: 'Thinking outside the box, in the long-term a disintegration of Iraq
and a de jure division of the country might be a solution.
'A
re-thinking of the borders that were drawn as part of the Sykes Picot Agreement
might be a bold move but one that ultimately might solve the sectarian
friction.
'Although
the Shi’a population will continue to support him, Maliki has lost any support
among most Sunni and Kurdish groups.
'Maliki
has failed to create an inclusive governance system, which can provide
socio-economic and physical security to all people in Iraq. So if Iraq was to
continue to exist within its current borders, the system has to be
reformed.'
Mr Kreig
also believes that ISIS militants might find a more fierce resistance if they
reach the south of the country.
He adds
that one of the only ways to stop the group is to try and stop the local Sunni
militias who are joining their cause.
He
explained: 'Shi’as will put up a fierce fight to protect their oil-rich
heartland in the South. Considering the number of Western oil companies
operating there and the number of private security companies securing these
facilities, it would be a fight that ISIS cannot win.
'Also, I
think that an advance to the South would be crossing a red line for the West as
well. ISIS will also not succeed in ever taking over Baghdad bearing in mind
that the US and Iran will not let this happen.
'In order
to stop ISIS, one has to target its current centres of gravity, which are
arguably the local support of Sunni militias and the influx of foreign
mujahedeen joining their cause.
'Particularly,
winning over the Sunni militias and their social base will be crucial in
undermining the momentum that ISIS has gained over the past week. US air
strikes even with the support of ‘advisors’ are only cosmetic short-term
solutions that might contain the spread of ISIS but will not defeat them.
'ISIS lack
of popular support coupled with a withdrawal of the Sunni militia support will
weaken ISIS tremendously. Identifying and supporting Sunni militias that might
have joined the cause of ISIS not out of ideological but self-interested
reasons is something that the Arab World has to do.'
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