Iraq crisis: Isis jihadists 'seize Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons stockpile' - live
Latest developments and news from the Iraq crisis, as Saudi Arabia warns that Britain and US must not meddle in Iraq
5:25PM BST 19 Jun 2014
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• Awaiting Obama statement on Iraq
• Isis jihadists 'seize Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons facility'
• Britain & US must not meddle in Iraq, says Saudi ambassador'
• Jihadists raise black banners over Iraq's biggest oil refinery
• Obama 'does not need Congress to launch air strikes'
• Tweet your thoughts to @rafsanchez
• Isis jihadists 'seize Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons facility'
• Britain & US must not meddle in Iraq, says Saudi ambassador'
• Jihadists raise black banners over Iraq's biggest oil refinery
• Obama 'does not need Congress to launch air strikes'
• Tweet your thoughts to @rafsanchez
Latest
21.10 We're going to leave it there for the night. Please check our Iraqpage for the latest.
21.00 An online supporter of jihad has a quiet moment:
20.55 Buzzfeed has a little more on Obama's aides refusing to rule out drone strikes in Syria.
“Clearly we’re focused on Iraq, that’s where our ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance] resources have surged,” the official told reporters on a conference call following President Obama’s announcement that the United States will send up to 300 military advisers to Iraq, where ISIS has taken over major cities and looks set to wage a campaign for Baghdad. “But the group ISIL operates broadly and we would not restrict our ability to take action that is necessary to protect the United States.”
“Clearly we’re focused on Iraq, that’s where our ISR [Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance] resources have surged,” the official told reporters on a conference call following President Obama’s announcement that the United States will send up to 300 military advisers to Iraq, where ISIS has taken over major cities and looks set to wage a campaign for Baghdad. “But the group ISIL operates broadly and we would not restrict our ability to take action that is necessary to protect the United States.”
20.25 The US State Department's Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications is tasked with pushing back against jihadist propaganda online (I wrote more about their effortshere).
They're up with a new English-language video detailing the tensions between al-Qaeda's core leadership in Pakistan and Isis in Iraq and Syria. And how the jihadists are sometimes turning their guns on eachother.
19.56 Obama's aides are still briefing the press and, interestingly, are not ruling out the possiblity that the US could launch drone strikes against Isis in Syria:
19.46 Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, has put out a statement on Iraq:
I support President Obama's decision to deploy U.S. military personnel to advise the Iraqi security forces. These special operators will assess the situation on the ground, help evaluate gaps in Iraqi security forces, and increase their capacity to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. However, as the president has repeatedly made clear, Iraq's problems cannot be resolved through American action alone, or through military force alone.
I support President Obama's decision to deploy U.S. military personnel to advise the Iraqi security forces. These special operators will assess the situation on the ground, help evaluate gaps in Iraqi security forces, and increase their capacity to counter the threat posed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. However, as the president has repeatedly made clear, Iraq's problems cannot be resolved through American action alone, or through military force alone.
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19.33 Obama's aides are briefing reporters now that the President has finished his statement:
19.21 So a quick round up of the news from Obama's statement:
-The US is sending up to 300 military advisors to support the Iraqi military but Obama is adamant that US forces "will not be returning to combat in Iraq".
-American surveillance missions over Iraq have been stepped up but for now there will be no airstrikes
-Obama does not call for Maliki to step down but says "Iraqi leaders must rise above their differences and come together around a political plan for Iraq's future".
-John Kerry is heading to the Middle East and Europe to consult with allies
-Obama feels there is a "constructive role" for Iran to play in stablising its Arab neighbour but there doesn't seem to be any imminent prospect of US and Iran strategic coordination.
19.05 The crisis in Iraq has raised a tantalising question: can the US and Iran work together against the Sunni jihadists? Obama says there is a role for Tehran but only if it tries to support a unified Iraq, rather than tipping the scales in favour of its Shia allies.
Iran can play a constructive role if it's helping to send the same message to the Iraqi government that we are sending, which is that Iraq only holds together if it's inclusive and if the interests of Sunni, Shia and Kurd are all respected... If Iran is coming in simply as an armed force on behalf of the Shia then that probably worsens the situation and the prospect of a government formation that would actually be constructive over the long term.
Iran can play a constructive role if it's helping to send the same message to the Iraqi government that we are sending, which is that Iraq only holds together if it's inclusive and if the interests of Sunni, Shia and Kurd are all respected... If Iran is coming in simply as an armed force on behalf of the Shia then that probably worsens the situation and the prospect of a government formation that would actually be constructive over the long term.
This is a very long article. For the full item please
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10910868/Iraq-crisis-Obama-may-launch-air-strikes-withou
