Is Iraq unraveling?
In the reading from 1 Corinthians this Corpus Christi Sunday, Saint Paul expresses the unity underlying the diverse gathering of believers who constituted the early church: “We, though many, are one body.” The vision of diverse sectarian groups working together . . .
In the reading from 1 Corinthians this Corpus Christi Sunday, Saint Paul expresses the unity underlying the diverse gathering of believers who constituted the early church: “We, though many, are one body.” The vision of diverse sectarian groups working together democratically in an united Iraq unraveled with stunning speed this past week as Sunni extremists overran northern and western Iraq.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki struck a defiant note in a televised address, insisting that Iraqi authorities "will win" despite the setbacks of the past week, during which Iraqi security forces crumbled in Mosul, the nation’s second largest city, and elsewhere before the militants' advance.
Iraq's military claimed Wednesday to have driven back militants who stormed the country's main oil refinery in the town of Baiji, the latest front in the battle for control of swaths of Iraq. Iraqi forces killed 40 militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, said Iraqi military spokesman Gen. Qasem Atta. Baiji is 140 miles north of Baghdad, the capital.
On Wednesday President Barack Obama huddled with congressional leaders on the question of whether the United States should intervene. The administration faces some tough choices. Obama has ruled out ground troops. Airstrikes remain under consideration.
Over the past week or so ISIS militants have pressed forward, gobbling up large chunks of territory. They have racked up several significant victories, including Tal Afar, Mosul, and two villages in the Diyala province. The ISIS militants are Sunni Muslims and claim to have killed at least 1,700 Shiites since launching their offensive. Hundreds of thousands have fled, prompting fears of a humanitarian crisis.
In their advance through Iraq, the militants have had support from Sunni tribes and militia angered by al-Maliki and his Shia-led government, which they accuse of marginalizing Sunni concerns.
In Baghdad a national unity meeting of Sunni and Shiite leaders sought to calm rising tensions. The meeting late Tuesday followed intense pressure from the Obama administration on al-Maliki to do more to reach out to his political foes if he wants to receive more assistance from the United States in the fight against ISIS.
Homily hint: Humanity seems to find endless justifications for strife and division. Can we be as creative in finding paths to peace and toleration? We can no longer afford the “luxury” of not getting along—the world shrinks daily as we become ever more interdependent.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki struck a defiant note in a televised address, insisting that Iraqi authorities "will win" despite the setbacks of the past week, during which Iraqi security forces crumbled in Mosul, the nation’s second largest city, and elsewhere before the militants' advance.
Iraq's military claimed Wednesday to have driven back militants who stormed the country's main oil refinery in the town of Baiji, the latest front in the battle for control of swaths of Iraq. Iraqi forces killed 40 militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, said Iraqi military spokesman Gen. Qasem Atta. Baiji is 140 miles north of Baghdad, the capital.
On Wednesday President Barack Obama huddled with congressional leaders on the question of whether the United States should intervene. The administration faces some tough choices. Obama has ruled out ground troops. Airstrikes remain under consideration.
Over the past week or so ISIS militants have pressed forward, gobbling up large chunks of territory. They have racked up several significant victories, including Tal Afar, Mosul, and two villages in the Diyala province. The ISIS militants are Sunni Muslims and claim to have killed at least 1,700 Shiites since launching their offensive. Hundreds of thousands have fled, prompting fears of a humanitarian crisis.
In their advance through Iraq, the militants have had support from Sunni tribes and militia angered by al-Maliki and his Shia-led government, which they accuse of marginalizing Sunni concerns.
In Baghdad a national unity meeting of Sunni and Shiite leaders sought to calm rising tensions. The meeting late Tuesday followed intense pressure from the Obama administration on al-Maliki to do more to reach out to his political foes if he wants to receive more assistance from the United States in the fight against ISIS.
Homily hint: Humanity seems to find endless justifications for strife and division. Can we be as creative in finding paths to peace and toleration? We can no longer afford the “luxury” of not getting along—the world shrinks daily as we become ever more interdependent.
Sources: Articles by Laura Smith-Spark, Ed Payne, and Nic Robertson for CNN, Hamza Hendawi and
Qassim Abdul Zahra for the Associated Press, and Liz Sly and Loveday Morris for the Washington Post