The militants of the so-called Islamic State, who have established a self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq, are registering new tales of horror and bloodbath.
Reports say in their march towards the south, where they intend to overrun Baghdad, they have gained control of many more towns and villages, including Zumar where oilfields are based. The United Nations now says more than 200,000 people are on the move as the insurgents comb down with vengeance. Social media releases are too frightening, which have documented horrifying graphic details of manslaughter.
The militants offensive since June has led to the killing of thousands of people, as the United States-trained Iraqi army melted away. Since then it has been a game of wait and see with militants consolidating their gains in the north of Iraq, including the strategic towns of Mosul, Kirkuk and elsewhere. The Kurdish regions are also under the Islamic State onslaught, which has opened a Pandoras box of its own. The Iraqi Kurds are now busy canvassing for a separate homeland, whereas the central government in Baghdad finds itself handicapped to deal with the mushrooming internal threat factor.
The Gaza offensive, inadvertently, had pushed the crisis in Iraq on the backburner, and now is the time to address the fissures in the Middle East in a holistic manner. Iraq needs international attention on two counts: One, to buoy the government in Baghdad to fight the intruding militants and help it secure its geopolitical sovereignty. Second, the war-weary country should be insulated from external interferences by rebuilding its national army on a war-footing basis. Last but not the least is the unfinished agenda of reforming the apparatus of governance in Iraq by doing away with its sectarian clout. –Khaleej Times
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