US President Barack Obama discussed with Сongress leaders deteriorating situation in Iraq where extremists seized a number of major cities, stated the White House. House Speaker John Boehner, as well as heads of Republican and Democrat parties in Congress - Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell and Nancy Pelosi were invited to the meeting with the President.
"The President spoke about the administration's efforts to respond to the threat posed by "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)," reports White House in the statement. US urges Iraqi leaders to stop the internecine strife, specifies the White House. Shiite Muslims control the Baghdad government, while Sunni extremist groups are advancing on the capital.
Also refer to: Obama's Iraq policy fuels terrorism - Dick Cheney
Obama also announced measures to strengthen US security forces, including the "extra help," said the White House, without giving any additional details. The US administration faced a lot of criticism after a sharp deterioration of the situation in Iraq, when the US unilaterally withdrew its troops in 2011, after nearly eight years of occupying the territory of the country. Sunni group of ISIL, which was fighting until the last time in Syria, last week led an offensive on the northern and western regions of Iraq.
Sunni group of Iraq joined ISIL as they are disgruntled with the policy of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, as well as the military of the former Saddam Hussein's army, small terrorist groups. This week the rebels were able to capture more territory, including the province of Nineveh with the second most important city of Mosul in Iraq, part of the province of Salah al-Din with the city of Tikrit.
Islamists plant Shariah law in the occupied territories; carry out mass executions of the local population, as well as demonstrative flogging of captured soldiers. Thousands of residents were forced to flee. Militants are preparing an offensive against Baghdad, from which the staff of international organizations and embassies has been hastily evacuated
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