- As militants advanced towards Baghdad, Iraq PM fired several senior security force officers and also ordered court martial for one for deserting the Nineveh’s capital Mosul city during the insurgency.
- Questions are being raised over Iraq’s ability to contain the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorists as Baghdad was rocked by bombings and reports of officers being killed.
- US is set to send military personnel to Baghdad to fortify the US’s diplomatic outpost in Iraq. This has doubled the number of US soldiers currently in Iraq.
- The insurgency, which is threatening to break up the country, is spreading fears in the oil markets about escalating oil prices.
- Meanwhile UK has set in motion improved bilateral ties with Iran, an important neutral country amidst the crisis, by offering to reopen its diplomatic office in the country which was shut following an attack in 2011.
- The reopening is subject to assurances of safety by Iran which is expected to reciprocate and reopen its outpost in Britain.
- Read at: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/iraq-pm-fires-top-security-commanders/article6124677.ece
- http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/uk-to-reopen-embassy-in-tehran/article6124686.ece
- http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/obama-doubles-forces/article6124685.ece
Exams Perspective:
- Sectarian Violence in Iraq
- UK Iran Bilateral Relations
- Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
- Gulf War II