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   US and UK speak of deep concern as al-Qaeda take swathes of   
   northern Iraq, sparking a mass exodus of civilians - follow   
   latest developments   
      
   Latest   
   22.25 We're going to leave it there for tonight. Please check   
   our Iraq page for the latest.   
      
   22.10 Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General, is calling for the   
   international community to stand behind Iraq. A spokesman said:   
   QuoteThe secretary-general urges the international community to   
   unite in showing solidarity with Iraq as it confronts this   
   serious security challenge.   
      
   21.35 Here's some Youtube footage purportedly showing abandoned   
   Iraqi military positions in Mosul and ISIS fighters driving   
   openly through the streets with their black banners flying.   
      
   21.15 We've heard consistent reports that the Iraqi security   
   forces - which the US and Britain spent billions training and   
   equipping - melted in the face of the Sunni militants' advance.   
      
   20.45 The US Embassy in Iraq has a grim message to Americans   
   travelling in the country: things are as bad now as the height   
   of the fighting in 2007.   
      
   QuoteNumerous insurgent groups, including the Islamic State in   
   Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), previously known as al-Qa’ida in   
   Iraq, remain active and terrorist activity and violence persist   
   in many areas of the country at levels unseen since 2007.   
      
   20.15 The Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad has said it is   
   prepared to come to Iraq's aid against the Sunni insurgents   
   sweeping through the country. "The foreign-backed terrorism that   
   our brothers in Iraq are facing is the same that is targeting   
   Syria," the foreign ministry said.   
      
   While it's true Assad and the Iraqi government have a common   
   enemy, it's not clear the Syrians can spare any troops from   
   their own fight to help Baghdad.   
      
   20.00 The crisis in Iraq isn't getting much attention in   
   Washington, where the focus is on an unfolding political drama   
   on Capitol Hill. But some of the more hawkish Republican   
   senators are bringing it up, accusing Obama of prematurely   
   withdrawing from Iraq in 2010 and allowing chaos to fill the   
   vacuum.   
      
   Here's Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida:   
      
   QuoteAs much as it may be popular, declaring wars over   
   prematurely and playing down the threats posed by hardened   
   terrorists has not made us safer. It has made us less secure.   
   After significant sacrifices in American lives and financial   
   support for the future of the Iraqi people, we have squandered   
   the gains in that country. We need to ensure our assistance   
   programs to Iraq are adequate to deal with the threats to their   
   stability.   
      
   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/108922   
   99/Iraq-crisis-al-Qaeda-forces-seize-Mosul-and-Tikrit-as-it-   
   happened.html   
      
       
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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