Kerry arrives in Iraq,urging political reform
Written by : Mohamed Abdel Fattah
Jun 23, 2014
Secretary of State John Kerry met Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the Prime Minister's Office in Baghdad Monday morning.
Kerry's visit the first to Iraq since an army of Sunni insurgents began seizing major cities in an advance toward the capital. he is on a diplomatic mission to the Middle East aiming to come up with a political solution, even as Iraq continues to descend into chaos.
Kerry had a 90-minute closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, to urge Iraqi leader to quickly form a more inclusive government that could help stem some of the sectarian violence that is engulfing the country and drawing the United States back into a conflict it tried to leave three years ago.
"This is a critical moment for Iraq's future," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said after the meetings. "It is a moment of decision for Iraq's leaders and it's a moment of great urgency."
"The very future of Iraq depends on choices that will be made in the next days and weeks, and the future of Iraq depends primarily on the ability of Iraq's leaders to come together and take a stand united against ISIL," Kerry said. "Not next week, not next month, but now."
Kerry also met with Iraq's foreign minister as well as Shiite and Sunni leaders.
Al-Malaki's office issued a statement after his meeting with Kerry, saying the Prime Minister told Kerry the current situation "poses a threat" not only to Iraq but the region as well. Al-Malaki "called on the countries of the world, especially countries in the region, to take it seriously," the statement said.
Kerry arrived in Baghdad just a day after the Sunni militants from the Al Qaeda-inspired Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) continued expanding their reach on Sunday, taking further control of the Iraq-Syria border and capturing more towns Qaim, Rawah and Anah in Anbar province in Iraq. Qaim, located on the border with Syria, hosts a key crossing between the two countries.
The officials said the militants captured Rutba, about 90 miles east of the Jordanian border, late Saturday. Residents were on Sunday negotiating with the militants to leave after an army unit on the town's outskirts threatened to start shelling.
A military intelligence official said troops had withdrawn from Rawa and Ana after ISIL militants attacked the settlements late on Saturday night
The capture of the town of Rawah on the Euphrates River and the nearby town of Anah appeared to be part of a march towards a key dam in the city of Haditha. Any destruction of the dam would have a serious impact on the country's electrical grid and cause major flooding.
Military officials said more than 2,000 troops were quickly dispatched to the site of the dam to protect it against a possible attack, the AP news agency
Rutba has a population of 40,000 but it has recently been home to 20,000 displaced from Fallujah and Ramadi.
ISIL's stated aim is to create an Islamic Caliphate which ignores boundaries set by colonial powers a century ago
U.S. sending military advisers
President Obama said Thursday he is planning to send up to 300 military advisers to Iraq to help retrain Iraqi security forces as they battle an insurgent invasion.
Obama added that "American forces will not be returning to combat" but will help Iraqis "take the fight to terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people, the region and American interests as well."
According to a White House statement, Obama went over efforts to "strengthen the capacity of Iraq's security forces to confront the threat" from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters, "including options for increased security assistance."
The president, holding back on more aggressive measures such as airstrikes, addressed the crisis in Iraq and the U.S. response after meeting for hours with his national security team. Speaking in the White House briefing room.
The president also said the U.S. is taking steps so that it's "prepared to take targeted and precise military action if and when we determine the situation on the ground requires it." The president said he would consult closely with Congress and leaders in Iraq before any decision is made.
Obama emphasized it's up to Iraqi leaders to work out a solution, saying "the U.S. will not seek military action that will support one sect over another."
"Above all, Iraqi leaders must rise above their differences and come together around a political plan for Iraq's future," Obama said.
The president, said the United States has an interest in preventing civil war in Iraq and making sure the war-torn nation does not become a new haven for terrorists planning to attack the U.S. and its allies
Sources
CNN
usatoday
foxnews
Jun 23, 2014
Secretary of State John Kerry met Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the Prime Minister's Office in Baghdad Monday morning.
Kerry's visit the first to Iraq since an army of Sunni insurgents began seizing major cities in an advance toward the capital. he is on a diplomatic mission to the Middle East aiming to come up with a political solution, even as Iraq continues to descend into chaos.
Kerry had a 90-minute closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, to urge Iraqi leader to quickly form a more inclusive government that could help stem some of the sectarian violence that is engulfing the country and drawing the United States back into a conflict it tried to leave three years ago.
"This is a critical moment for Iraq's future," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said after the meetings. "It is a moment of decision for Iraq's leaders and it's a moment of great urgency."
"The very future of Iraq depends on choices that will be made in the next days and weeks, and the future of Iraq depends primarily on the ability of Iraq's leaders to come together and take a stand united against ISIL," Kerry said. "Not next week, not next month, but now."
Kerry also met with Iraq's foreign minister as well as Shiite and Sunni leaders.
Al-Malaki's office issued a statement after his meeting with Kerry, saying the Prime Minister told Kerry the current situation "poses a threat" not only to Iraq but the region as well. Al-Malaki "called on the countries of the world, especially countries in the region, to take it seriously," the statement said.
Kerry arrived in Baghdad just a day after the Sunni militants from the Al Qaeda-inspired Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) continued expanding their reach on Sunday, taking further control of the Iraq-Syria border and capturing more towns Qaim, Rawah and Anah in Anbar province in Iraq. Qaim, located on the border with Syria, hosts a key crossing between the two countries.
The officials said the militants captured Rutba, about 90 miles east of the Jordanian border, late Saturday. Residents were on Sunday negotiating with the militants to leave after an army unit on the town's outskirts threatened to start shelling.
A military intelligence official said troops had withdrawn from Rawa and Ana after ISIL militants attacked the settlements late on Saturday night
The capture of the town of Rawah on the Euphrates River and the nearby town of Anah appeared to be part of a march towards a key dam in the city of Haditha. Any destruction of the dam would have a serious impact on the country's electrical grid and cause major flooding.
Military officials said more than 2,000 troops were quickly dispatched to the site of the dam to protect it against a possible attack, the AP news agency
Rutba has a population of 40,000 but it has recently been home to 20,000 displaced from Fallujah and Ramadi.
ISIL's stated aim is to create an Islamic Caliphate which ignores boundaries set by colonial powers a century ago
U.S. sending military advisers
President Obama said Thursday he is planning to send up to 300 military advisers to Iraq to help retrain Iraqi security forces as they battle an insurgent invasion.
Obama added that "American forces will not be returning to combat" but will help Iraqis "take the fight to terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people, the region and American interests as well."
According to a White House statement, Obama went over efforts to "strengthen the capacity of Iraq's security forces to confront the threat" from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters, "including options for increased security assistance."
The president, holding back on more aggressive measures such as airstrikes, addressed the crisis in Iraq and the U.S. response after meeting for hours with his national security team. Speaking in the White House briefing room.
The president also said the U.S. is taking steps so that it's "prepared to take targeted and precise military action if and when we determine the situation on the ground requires it." The president said he would consult closely with Congress and leaders in Iraq before any decision is made.
Obama emphasized it's up to Iraqi leaders to work out a solution, saying "the U.S. will not seek military action that will support one sect over another."
"Above all, Iraqi leaders must rise above their differences and come together around a political plan for Iraq's future," Obama said.
The president, said the United States has an interest in preventing civil war in Iraq and making sure the war-torn nation does not become a new haven for terrorists planning to attack the U.S. and its allies
Sources
CNN
usatoday
foxnews
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