Brit Jihadi Film Leaves Family 'Heartbroken'

Faith Lost In Iraq PM Amid Political Limbo

Updated: 5:46pm UK, Friday 20 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor, in Baghdad

The US President, Shia politicians, Sunni chieftans and none other than the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani has joined the clamour for Iraq's Prime Minister to move fast and form a government.

The nation has languished since elections on April 30 in a political limbo that arguably undermined faith in the central government, even among the Shia-dominated armed forces.

That might, partly, explain their rapid collapse in the face of far fewer forces from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) plus their allies.

But now that Iraq's supreme court has ratified the results of the elections what possible reason could Nouri al Maliki have for delay?

One explanation may simply be political.

His stewardship over previous years has entrenched sectarian divisions and seen an explosion in corruption.

His party bloc won 92 of the 328 seats in Iraq's parliament and he'll need 165 to form a coalition administration.

He, therefore, has to get involved in some serious horse trading with other Shia parties to build his coalition.

But they are now losing faith in him. Particularly in his apparent refusal to reach out to Sunni parties and offer them stakes in the central government - such as a security portfolio and a ministry which would give them access to patronage systems such as an education or public works - so that they feel both secure and that they have an investment in the future political structures.

A more conspiratorial thesis, fuelled by the conspiratorial utterances of lame duck ministers left over from the previous administration, is that Iraq's latest travails are the fault of external forces.

Jordan, Saudi Arabia (both Sunni countries), the US and others are being blamed for manipulating the Middle East and somehow creating ISIS.

There is evidence of Saudi individual, and possible state funding, for extremist militant groups in Syria, which may include ISIS.

And Jordan has played a significant role in trying to boost the fortunes of the non-extremist Free Syrian Army.

But Mr al Maliki may have calculated that he can either weather the latest storm - or let ISIS form an impoverished caliphate in the desert north of his country which would leave the Shia with Baghdad and the south.

It's the south, after all, that holds the lion's share of the world's second largest oil reserves.

It can ship its oil out through the Gulf, via Kuwait, or via Iran.

A Shia state or semi-state would not only be self-sufficient - it would be spared the burden of sharing Iraq's spoils with other sectarian groups like the Sunni and the Kurds (who already have their own autonomy and oil industry).

Such a move, or allowing events to drift to this reality, would place the south of Iraq firmly inside Iran's imperial embrace.

That is not something that Saudi Arabia would be able to tolerate in the long term as it vies with Iran for influence in the Middle East.

Nor is it anything that a rump Sunni 'caliphate' would be able to live with - the extremists within it would forever plot how to steal it back by force.

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Colchester Student Murder: Suspect Released

Detectives investigating the brutal murder of a Saudi Arabian student in Colchester have released a 19-year-old man they were questioning.

Nahid Almanea was stabbed 16 times while walking along a path in Colchester, Essex, on Tuesday morning.

The 31-year-old had been taking an English language course at the University of Essex as part of her studies for a life sciences PhD.

Police have increased the number of patrols in the city since the attack

Police released a CCTV picture of Ms Almanea taken moments before her death and a map of her likely route from the home she shared with her brother to the spot on the Salary Brook trail where her body was found.

Police said the man was arrested on Friday in connection with a separate assault after a female jogger claimed a man had approached her and tried to grab her near Peache Road on June 19.

Officers said the man has now been released from police custody, no further action against him is planned, and he has been eliminated from their inquiries.

Ms Almanea was captured on CCTV moments before she was killed

Earlier, investigators promised to "unrelentingly" pursue all lines of inquiry in the hunt for the foreign student's killer.

Chief Inspector Richard Phillibrown, the town's area commander, said: "I see this murder as an attack on the entire community of Colchester and I believe we will all pull together to respond to it.

"I am confident that the vast majority of people in this town will pay no attention to those trying to stir up trouble."

Police were investigating whether Ms Almanea's clothing - an abaya robe and hijab headscarf - was a factor in the stabbing, but stressed they did not know for sure.

Officers have warned local people not to go out alone and to be vigilant

Officers warned that jumping to such conclusions would be "deeply unhelpful, wrong and dangerous" and that there were likely other possible motives.

Officers called for calm, warned local people not to go out alone and to be vigilant, as they confirmed they were investigating threats of revenge attacks on social media.

They said the fact that Ms Almanea was stabbed multiple times bore "obvious similarities" to the murder of James Attfield, a vulnerable man with brain damage who was stabbed more than 100 times in a park in Colchester in March.

But police have stressed the cases remain separate investigations.

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Iraq Militants Take Border Post In Bloody Battle

Faith Lost In Iraq PM Amid Political Limbo

Updated: 5:46pm UK, Friday 20 June 2014

By Sam Kiley, Foreign Affairs Editor, in Baghdad

The US President, Shia politicians, Sunni chieftans and none other than the Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani has joined the clamour for Iraq's Prime Minister to move fast and form a government.

The nation has languished since elections on April 30 in a political limbo that arguably undermined faith in the central government, even among the Shia-dominated armed forces.

That might, partly, explain their rapid collapse in the face of far fewer forces from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) plus their allies.

But now that Iraq's supreme court has ratified the results of the elections what possible reason could Nouri al Maliki have for delay?

One explanation may simply be political.

His stewardship over previous years has entrenched sectarian divisions and seen an explosion in corruption.

His party bloc won 92 of the 328 seats in Iraq's parliament and he'll need 165 to form a coalition administration.

He, therefore, has to get involved in some serious horse trading with other Shia parties to build his coalition.

But they are now losing faith in him. Particularly in his apparent refusal to reach out to Sunni parties and offer them stakes in the central government - such as a security portfolio and a ministry which would give them access to patronage systems such as an education or public works - so that they feel both secure and that they have an investment in the future political structures.

A more conspiratorial thesis, fuelled by the conspiratorial utterances of lame duck ministers left over from the previous administration, is that Iraq's latest travails are the fault of external forces.

Jordan, Saudi Arabia (both Sunni countries), the US and others are being blamed for manipulating the Middle East and somehow creating ISIS.

There is evidence of Saudi individual, and possible state funding, for extremist militant groups in Syria, which may include ISIS.

And Jordan has played a significant role in trying to boost the fortunes of the non-extremist Free Syrian Army.

But Mr al Maliki may have calculated that he can either weather the latest storm - or let ISIS form an impoverished caliphate in the desert north of his country which would leave the Shia with Baghdad and the south.

It's the south, after all, that holds the lion's share of the world's second largest oil reserves.

It can ship its oil out through the Gulf, via Kuwait, or via Iran.

A Shia state or semi-state would not only be self-sufficient - it would be spared the burden of sharing Iraq's spoils with other sectarian groups like the Sunni and the Kurds (who already have their own autonomy and oil industry).

Such a move, or allowing events to drift to this reality, would place the south of Iraq firmly inside Iran's imperial embrace.

That is not something that Saudi Arabia would be able to tolerate in the long term as it vies with Iran for influence in the Middle East.

Nor is it anything that a rump Sunni 'caliphate' would be able to live with - the extremists within it would forever plot how to steal it back by force.

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Iraq: US Special Forces To Help Fight Militants

The US is sending 300 military advisers to help the Iraqi government fight Islamist militants - and Barack Obama has warned airstrikes could follow.

Speaking at the White House, the President said he was prepared to take "targeted" military action but stressed US troops, who withdrew from Iraq in 2011 after eight years, would not return to combat in the country.

The announcement came as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants seized one of Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons factories.

Burnt out Iraqi security force vehicles in Mosul, where ISIS have control

"We are aware that the ISIL (ISIS) has occupied the Al Muthanna complex," state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

However, she said she did not believe the group would be able to produce usable chemical weapons there, because any materials remaining are old and unwieldy.

The US contingent being sent to Iraq will be made up of special forces and will staff joint operations centres for intelligence sharing and planning, officials said.

USGS/NASA image of smoke billowing from the Baiji oil refinery

"American forces will not be returning to combat in Iraq but we will help Iraqis as they take the fight to terrorists who threaten the Iraqi people, the region and American interests as well," Mr Obama said.

The President said he was sending Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle East and Europe at the weekend for talks with US allies and partners on ways to stabilise the region.

A US official added Mr Kerry was "expected to go Iraq soon" to meet Iraqi officials, but did not specify a date.

Clashes continue at Baiji, the country's largest refinery

Mr Obama stressed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki needed to take urgent steps to heal Iraq's sectarian rift, but stopped short of calling for him to go, saying: "It's not our job to choose Iraq's leaders."

"Above all, Iraqi leaders must rise above their differences and come together around a political plan for Iraq's future," he said.

Leading US politicians have joined calls for Mr Maliki to quit as a condition for US help.

Shia fighters from the Mehdi Army at a military-style training in Najaf

Sunni tribal chief Sheik Ali Hatem al Suleiman, the emir of the Sunni Dulaim tribe from Anbar province, said Mr Obama could no longer rely on Mr Maliki to deal with the insurgency.

"I think that most of President Obama's speech, but not all of it, was shallow and didn't address the heart of the matter," he said.

"It talked about participation, it talked about a national government, but you can't come to Iraq with a speech that doesn't address the truth of the problem.

US military advisers will be sent into Iraq to help Iraqi forces

"And the real problem in Iraq is al Maliki himself. I don't think Obama's speech addressed the reality of today's Iraq. You can't rely on him. The man has become paralysed."

As Mr Obama announced his most significant response to the Iraqi crisis, the sprawling Baiji refinery, 130 miles (200km) north of the capital near Tikrit, was transformed into a battlefield.

Troops loyal to the Shia-led government held off the ISIS insurgents and their allies who had stormed the perimeter a day earlier, threatening national energy supplies.

New recruits, Shia loyalists, are trained after volunteering in Baghdad

A government spokesman said at one point on Thursday that Iraqi forces were in "complete control", but a witness in Baiji said fighting was continuing. 

Two Iraqi helicopters tried to land in the refinery but were unable to because of insurgent gunfire, and most of the refinery remained under rebel control, witnesses said.

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England Look To Italy To Avoid World Cup Exit

England fans face another nail-biting day after a 2-1 defeat to Uruguay left any chance of their team reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup in Italy's hands.

Should their Group D rivals fail to beat Costa Rica, Roy Hodgson's side will be eliminated in the first round for the first time since 1958.

However, the manager admitted that even if the result goes their way, their hopes of making the last 16 are now "unbelievably slim".

Mario Balotelli says he wants a kiss from the Queen if Italy help England

Striker Daniel Sturridge said he felt "sick" and "heartbroken" after England's second defeat in two matches.

But Luis Suarez, who scored both goals on his return for Uruguay in Sao Paulo, revelled in his team's success.

"I dreamt this," he said. "I'm enjoying this moment because of everything I suffered."

Luis Suarez consoles his Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard

Meanwhile, the importance of results elsewhere in England's group was not lost on Italian striker Mario Balotelli, who joked: "If we beat Costa Rica I want a kiss, obviously on the cheek, from the Queen."

Uruguay took the lead in the 38th minute as Suarez scored from a header.

England's goal came 15 minutes from the final whistle when Glen Johnson sent the ball across goal for Wayne Rooney to score.

England must hope Mario Balotelli and Italy can beat Costa Rica

But Uruguay struck back quickly with another Suarez goal in the 84th minute.

Speaking from Sao Paulo, Sky's Paul Kelso said the defeat is likely to spell the end of England's World Cup campaign.

Italy must beat Costa Rica and Uruguay while England need to secure all three points in their final group game to stand any chance of progressing in the tournament.

Luis Suarez heads the ball past England goalkeeper Joe Hart

Even that may not be enough, with goal difference then coming into play.

"The bottom line, having watched both those performances, is that ultimately England just haven't been good enough," Kelso said.

"They've played with a good amount of spirit and attacking purpose but faced with teams of the quality of Italy and Uruguay they simply haven't had the players to match them."

England fans in the stands at Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paulo

Hodgson said he would not resign after England's back-to-back defeats, insisting his young squad have a bright future.

"We're more than disappointed, we're devastated," he said.

"In both games we've shown elements of playing some good football and we've shown we're a team making progress.

"But results decide everything and both results have been negative."

Roy Hodgson says he wants to continue managing England

The defeat to Uruguay came after 10 England fans were attacked in Sao Paulo ahead of the game.

Some 14 people were arrested after a group wearing hoods and dark clothing threw fireworks and glass bottles at the supporters.

Roy Hodgson expressed his confidence in the team ahead of the match

Elsewhere in the city, a march by about 1,000 demonstrators demanding free public transport passed off peacefully.

However, violence erupted when masked youths, believed to be from the anarchist Black Block movement, broke into a car dealership and began vandalising luxury vehicles.

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MP Tweets About Punching Journalist 'In Throat'

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant is under fire for tweeting about "punching" a newspaper columnist "in the throat".

More follows...

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Spain: Felipe VI Sworn In As New King Of Spain

Spain has a new king with the accession of Felipe VI to the throne following the abdication of his father Juan Carlos.

The retiring monarch handed over to his son at midnight, in the first royal transition in the country since the introduction of democracy with the death of dictator General Franco in 1975.

He was formally being sworn in at a low-key ceremony in parliament on Thursday, without the usual pomp and ceremony associated with a royal coronation, in recognition of the hardship still being endured by many Spaniards.

The 46-year-old was wearing military uniform with a sash, and took an oath of loyalty to Spain's constitution before giving an address.

He will later be driven through the streets of central Madrid with his wife, Queen Letizia, a former journalist, along a route decorated with red and yellow flowers - the colours of Spain's flag - before hosting an afternoon reception at the Royal Palace with 2,000 guests from all walks of society.

Felipe VI with his wife, Queen Letizia

His father did not attend the swearing in ceremony so as not to distract attention from the new monarch, according to the palace.

Juan Carlos and his wife Sofia, however, will greet crowds from a balcony at the Royal Palace alongside the new royal couple.

Monarchists hope Felipe becoming king will be will bring in a new era for the troubled royal household.

He has remained untouched by a royal corruption scandal, in which his brother-in-law is charged with embezzling millions of euros of public funds in a case that shocked the public.

The outgoing king lost favour after going on an elephant hunting trip

The outgoing king, credited with helping the country's transition to democracy, also lost favour after going on a secret elephant hunting trip at the height of Spain's recession.

Although polls show the decision to hand over to Felipe has boosted the popularity of the royals, nearly two thirds now also support the idea of a referendum on whether Spain should continue to be a constitutional monarchy.

Security forces are taking no chances and police have carried out house-to-house searches along the route King Felipe will be driven, with 7,000 police and 120 snipers out on the streets.

A Republican rally has been refused authorisation by the Madrid authorities.

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Ian Wright's Family Burgled At Knifepoint

Former England international Ian Wright has reportedly flown home from the World Cup after his wife and children were burgled at knifepoint by four armed men.

A blade was held at his wife Nancy's throat, while his children were threatened with having their fingers cut off, during the robbery on Wednesday night at the family's home in St John's Wood, north-west London, The Sun reported.

Both mother and children are thought to have been separated in different rooms during the burglary.

The gang are understood to have made off with cash and jewellery.

Steve Kutner, Wright's manager, told the newspaper: "It was a terrifying ordeal. They marched Ian's wife from room to room."

Wright, who has been working for ITV in Brazil, was said to have returned as soon as he heard the news.

The 50-year-old former Arsenal striker tweeted last night: "You won't get away with it!"

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We are investigating an aggravated burglary at an address in north-west London after we were called at 9.20 last night.

"Personal possessions were stolen. The suspects are described as four black men aged between 18 and 25, with London accents, wearing dark clothing and hoodies obscuring their faces.

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British ISIS Militants 'Will Target UK'

Timeline: How The Iraq Crisis Unfolded

Updated: 2:12pm UK, Tuesday 17 June 2014

A look back at the main events in the Iraq crisis, which has seen Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group move to within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

December 2011: US troops complete their withdrawal after the 2003 invasion which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.

August 2013: More than 70 people are killed in attacks at the end of Ramadan. ISIS claim responsibility.

January 2-4, 2014: ISIS declares itself in control of the western city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi following clashes sparked by the clearing of a Sunni-Arab protest camp.

February: al Qaeda formally disowns ISIS, which was at one time an affiliate, because of its extreme methods.

April: Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki wins the most seats in a general election.

June 10: ISIS seizes all of Nineveh province in the north, including the capital Mosul - Iraq's second city. Mr Maliki asks parliament to declare a state of emergency.

June 11: The militants launch a wave of attacks further south, taking Tikrit and freeing hundreds of prisoners in Baiji. An assault on Samarra, 70 miles (110km) north of Baghdad, is repelled by security forces.

June 12: Iraq's air force strikes fighters' positions near Mosul and Tikrit.

US President Barack Obama says he is looking at "all the options" to help the government, which fails to secure authorisation for a state of emergency.

The army abandons its bases in Kirkuk, leaving Kurdish Peshmerga troops to take control.

June 13: A top Shia cleric issues a call to arms, telling the population to take up arms and defend their country.

Mr Maliki claims government forces have started to clear cities of "terrorists" and implements an emergency plan to protect Baghdad.

President Obama rules out sending back troops to fight ISIS.

The rebels move into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in eastern province of Diyala.

June 14: Iran offers to work with the US to tackle the crisis, as Britain pledges an initial £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

The Iraqi army's fightback continues, with forces retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah in Salaheddin province.

Troops also regain much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is ordered to the Persian Gulf.

June 15: Photos emerge appearing to show an ISIS massacre of 1,700 captured government soldiers. Baghdad says number is exaggerated.

Reports say militants have overrun Tal Afar, the largest town in Nineveh province.

A bombing in central Baghdad leaves 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Former PM Tony Blair tells Sky News that critics who believe the violence is the result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

June 16: Video footage purporting to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers draws condemnation.

ISIS takes control of Tal Afar and the al Adhim area of Diyala province.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is "open to discussions with Iran".

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Kurds Lead Fightback Against ISIS Militants

Timeline: How The Iraq Crisis Unfolded

Updated: 2:12pm UK, Tuesday 17 June 2014

A look back at the main events in the Iraq crisis, which has seen Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terror group move to within 50 miles of the capital Baghdad.

December 2011: US troops complete their withdrawal after the 2003 invasion which led to the removal of Saddam Hussein.

August 2013: More than 70 people are killed in attacks at the end of Ramadan. ISIS claim responsibility.

January 2-4, 2014: ISIS declares itself in control of the western city of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi following clashes sparked by the clearing of a Sunni-Arab protest camp.

February: al Qaeda formally disowns ISIS, which was at one time an affiliate, because of its extreme methods.

April: Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki wins the most seats in a general election.

June 10: ISIS seizes all of Nineveh province in the north, including the capital Mosul - Iraq's second city. Mr Maliki asks parliament to declare a state of emergency.

June 11: The militants launch a wave of attacks further south, taking Tikrit and freeing hundreds of prisoners in Baiji. An assault on Samarra, 70 miles (110km) north of Baghdad, is repelled by security forces.

June 12: Iraq's air force strikes fighters' positions near Mosul and Tikrit.

US President Barack Obama says he is looking at "all the options" to help the government, which fails to secure authorisation for a state of emergency.

The army abandons its bases in Kirkuk, leaving Kurdish Peshmerga troops to take control.

June 13: A top Shia cleric issues a call to arms, telling the population to take up arms and defend their country.

Mr Maliki claims government forces have started to clear cities of "terrorists" and implements an emergency plan to protect Baghdad.

President Obama rules out sending back troops to fight ISIS.

The rebels move into the towns of Saadiyah and Jalawla in eastern province of Diyala.

June 14: Iran offers to work with the US to tackle the crisis, as Britain pledges an initial £3m in emergency aid to help refugees fleeing the violence.

The Iraqi army's fightback continues, with forces retaking the towns of Ishaqi, al-Mutasim and Duluiyah in Salaheddin province.

Troops also regain much of Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's home town.

US aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush is ordered to the Persian Gulf.

June 15: Photos emerge appearing to show an ISIS massacre of 1,700 captured government soldiers. Baghdad says number is exaggerated.

Reports say militants have overrun Tal Afar, the largest town in Nineveh province.

A bombing in central Baghdad leaves 15 people dead and dozens injured.

Former PM Tony Blair tells Sky News that critics who believe the violence is the result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

June 16: Video footage purporting to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers draws condemnation.

ISIS takes control of Tal Afar and the al Adhim area of Diyala province.

US Secretary of State John Kerry says Washington is "open to discussions with Iran".

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Primodos Row: Watchdog Took Years To Warn GPs

By Jason Farrell, Political Correspondent

The Government medicines watchdog took years to warn doctors about a pregnancy test drug that may have caused deformities in babies in the womb, Sky News has learned.

The drug Primodos, a hormone pregnancy test, was prescribed by GPs across England in the 1960s and 70s - and was taken by 1.5 million British women.

But Sky News has found it was not licenced to be used in pregnancy after 1970 amid concerns about its effect on the foetus.

Freedom of Information Requests to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) revealed letters were written to doctors - but not until five years later in 1975 when a warning was also placed on the packet. 

Then called the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the watchdog warned GPs of concerns about "an increased incidence of congenital abnormalities" in babies born to women who took the drug.

They wrote: "On the present evidence, the Committee believe that it is possible that the use of these preparations for the diagnosis of pregnancy could on occasion lead to abnormalities of the foetus."

Even after this, thousands of prescriptions were given to women until 1977 when the Committee sent a second letter to GPs saying the association had been confirmed. After this prescriptions ceased.

However, the MHRA said in a statement: "We do not hold any such letters and are not aware that any were sent by the CSM about Primodos or hormone pregnancy tests at that time. Nor are we able to comment on whether a letter should have been sent."

For years campaigners with deformities allegedly caused by the drug have challenged the German drug company Shearing, now owned by Bayer, to accept responsibility. The company however insists no link has been shown.

The MHRA says it's not aware of letters about Primodos

Three years ago Sky News conducted an exclusive investigation speaking to retired researchers who originally raised concerns about the drug.

One of them, Dr Isobel Gal who conducted research at Queen Mary's Hospital for Children in Surrey, told Sky News how she spent a decade trying to persuade people of the link.

Documents seen by Sky News, that have been sealed in the National Archives for 30 years, show CSM officials admitted they made mistakes while rudely dismissing Ms Gal and her research.

They, along with other letters about the drug, were found by an alleged victim of Primodos, Nichola Walton, who suffers from stomach and spinal abnormalities.

Campaigners want the drug company to admit responsibility

She said: "They've covered so many things up so many times. So many victims have already passed.

"So many parents have buried their children and they've not been able to see the evidence. They've not been able to explain. I just think it is appalling."

In a statement Bayer, which took over Shering, told Sky News: "UK litigation in respect of Primodos, against Schering (which is now owned by Bayer), ended in 1982 when the claimants' legal team, with the approval of the court, decided to discontinue the litigation on the grounds that there was no realistic possibility of showing that Primodos caused the congenital abnormalities alleged."

They also said that any use of Primodos as a pregnancy test after 1970 would have been "off-label".

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Mortar Attack On Iraq's Biggest Oil Refinery

Insurgents are said to have taken over three-quarters of Iraq's biggest oil refinery after launching a mortar and machine-gun assault.

Smoke was seen billowing from the Baiji complex as officials confirmed it had been infiltrated by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants.

Production had already ceased at the refinery, north of Baghdad, after clashes nearby.

The attack comes as it emerged that ISIS charts its brutality in annual reports called al-Naba - The Report.

The 2013 version cites 10,000 operations in Iraq, including 1,000 assassinations and 4,000 improvised explosive devices planted.

The US-based Institute for the Study of War has analysed the 2012 and 2013 reports and corroborates much of the information they contain.

Other claims in the 2013 report include the freeing of hundreds of radical prisoners - and hundreds of "apostates" being turned.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said "the great Iranian people will do everything to protect" revered Shiite shrines in Iraq from Sunni fighters.

Kurdish fighters in the north of the country have begun a counter-offensive against ISIS militants, but as the insurgents continue their move towards Baghdad, Mr al Maliki has sacked four top security officers for failing to prevent Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city, from falling into terrorist hands.

The city is one of a number in the north of Iraq to have fallen.

Some 44 prisoners were killed when insurgents attempted to storm a jail in Baquba - less than 40 miles from Baghdad.

The bodies of 18 Iraqi security personnel were also discovered outside the city of Samarra.

President Barack Obama announced on Monday that up to 275 troops would be sent to Iraq to safeguard US personnel and the US embassy.

The US has called on Mr Maliki to forge closer ties with Sunni critics of his Shi'ite-led government.

More follows...

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Iraq: US Troops Deployed To Protect Embassy

The US is deploying armed troops to Iraq to safeguard American personnel in Baghdad as the government struggles to deal with Islamist insurgents.

President Barack Obama informed Congress on Monday that up to 275 troops could be sent to Iraq to provide security for US personnel and the US Embassy.

Some 170 of the soldiers have already arrived in the Iraqi capital, with the remainder on standby in case they are needed, a US official said.

As the US and arch-enemy Iran discussed the crisis on the sidelines of nuclear talks, it was reported that the commander of Tehran's elite Quds Force, General Ghasem Soleimani, was in Iraq on Monday to discuss how to halt the insurgents' gains.

Images showing ISIS insurgents killing Iraqi soldiers have sparked outrage

British Foreign Secretary William Hague is due to outline the UK's relationship with Iran when he appears in the House of Commons later.

While the US and Iran have ruled out military co-operation, State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the two nations have a shared interest in ensuring militants do not have a "foothold any more in Iraq".

Mr Obama has vowed to keep US forces out of combat in Iraq, but acknowledged the troops in Baghdad are equipped for direct fighting.

The White House is also considering sending special forces to train and advise Iraqi troops.

One official said up to 100 special forces soldiers could be sent.

Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said last week that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki must be presented with a set of conditions before any military support was agreed.

She said: "That's a delicate and difficult task for our government because we certainly don't want to fight their fight.

Security in Baghdad has been stepped up

"Because you'd be fighting for a dysfunctional, unrepresentative, authoritarian government and there's no reason on earth that I know of that we would ever sacrifice a single American life for that."

Mr al Maliki has vowed to recapture territory lost to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which has seized towns in Iraq after a week of fighting and vowed to attack Baghdad.

The insurgents captured Tal Afar after a dawn raid, along with the al Adhim area in Diyala province, north of Baghdad.

Security forces patrol near the borders between Karbala and Anbar provinces

An Iraqi army helicopter was also shot down near the city of Fallujah.

But Iraq's army has stalled its advance in Samarra despite graphic images appearing to show Shia soldiers being killed in cold blood.

Footage has also emerged which purports to show ISIS insurgents questioning and killing unarmed Iraqi soldiers.

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Hillsborough Wiki Entry Civil Servant Sacked

A civil servant who made changes to the Wikipedia page about the Hillsborough disaster from a government computer has been sacked.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude told Parliament that a junior administrator has been identified as being behind posts made in 2012 and has been fired for gross misconduct.

A 24-year-old thought to have been born in London, but based in Liverpool, is understood to have changed the phrase "You'll never walk alone", the anthem of Liverpool FC, to read: "You'll never walk again."

An investigation into who made other changes, including some that are thought to have been made from computers used by Whitehall departments, is being dropped, Mr Maude said.

It is understood that those responsible for the changes made using a secure intranet cannot be traced because of "technical obstacles" and a lack of leads.

In one instance, the phrase "Blame Liverpool fans" was added anonymously to the Hillsborough section of the online encyclopaedia.

At the time the Cabinet Office became aware the changes had been made from government computers, a spokesman said: "The amendments made to Wikipedia are sickening.

"When the issue was brought to our attention by the Liverpool Echo we launched immediate enquiries.

"Once we have the facts, we will update Parliament with the findings and consider further appropriate action.

"At this time, we have no reason to suspect that the Hillsborough edits involve any particular department, nor more than one or two individuals in 2009 and 2012."

The civil servant who made the change in 2012 was identified by an investigation carried out by an online forum about Wikipedia called Wikipediocracy and the Daily Telegraph.

The Telegraph said he was pinpointed by cross-referencing his social media and work history.

The Hillsborough Family Support Group said it had been in discussion about whether to name him and had decided not to.

Chair Margaret Aspinall said: "All the families agreed that his name should be withheld.

"He has been sacked, and we all took the decision not to name him because social media can be very unpleasant.

"The most important thing is that this has been dealt with and it has not been covered up. He has been punished."

Mr Maude said it was "long-standing established practice that in such cases an individual's name will not be made public".

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UK To Reopen Iran Embassy, Says Hague

William Hague has said the "circumstances are right" to reopen the UK embassy in Iran as the West looks to improve relations to help tackle the crisis in Iraq.

The UK closed its Tehran embassy after it was ransacked by a mob in 2011 and diplomatic relations soured.

However, following the election of Hassan Rouhani last year, relations between the West and Iran have shown some signs of improvement.

In October, the Foreign Secretary announced the appointment by both countries of non-resident charge d'affaires to work towards reopening the embassies.

Mr Hague's statement comes as the US prepares to open talks with Iran and US Secretary of State John Kerry suggested he would be open to military cooperation on Iraq.

Hassan Rouhani has offered to work with the West on Iraq

The president announced last night that around 275 US military personnel could deploy to Iraq to provide support and security for the US embassy and its staff in Baghdad.

Mr Rouhani said at the weekend he would be willing to work with the West to tackle the bloody insurgency in Iraq and help stem the flood of terrorism across the Middle East region.

Senior officers from the Revolutionary Guard are already in Baghdad where they are offering assistance to leaders.

Shia-dominated Iran, which supports Syria's president Bashar al Assad, does not want Sunni militants to establish a stranglehold on the doorstep.

Mr Hague made his announcement on Iran in a written statement later after speaking to his counterpart in Iran.

Mr Hague told MPs on Monday relations with Iran should move forward

He appeared in the Commons on Monday to give an update on the situation in Iraq and was asked by shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander about the "urgent case for ensuring an effective British diplomatic presence in Tehran".

Mr Hague said he had discussed matters with Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif.

"He said that there was a case for a further step forward in our bilateral relations. I have discussed that with him, and I shall have something more to say about our discussions imminently," said Mr Hague.

"However, our work on that is distinct from discussions on Iraq, which is partly why I shall address those separately."

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Boris Tells Blair: Put A Sock In It Over Iraq

Boris Johnson has launched a stinging attack on Tony Blair by claiming he has "finally gone mad" after insisting the current crisis in Iraq was caused by a failure to deal with the Syria conflict - not the 2003 US-led invasion.

Writing in his Daily Telegraph column, the Mayor of London said Mr Blair and then-US president George W Bush had shown "unbelievable arrogance" to believe toppling Saddam Hussein would not result in instability.

He went as far as accusing the ex-Labour leader of having sent British forces into the bloody conflict in part to gain personal "grandeur".

He suggested there were "specific and targeted" actions that could be taken by the US and its allies to deal with latest threat - as President Barack Obama considers a range of military options short of ground troops.

But he said that by refusing to accept that the 2003 war was "a tragic mistake", Mr Blair was "now undermining the very cause he advocates: the possibility of serious and effective intervention".

Mr Blair said the West's 'inaction' over Syria is to blame for Iraq

"Somebody needs to get on to Tony Blair and tell him to put a sock in it, or at least to accept the reality of the disaster he helped to engender. Then he might be worth hearing," Mr Johnson said.

"I have come to the conclusion that Tony Blair has finally gone mad. In discussing the disaster of modern Iraq he made assertions that are so jaw-droppingly and breathtakingly at variance with reality that he surely needs professional psychiatric help."

Speaking to Sky News' Dermot Murnaghan, Mr Blair said the West's inability to get tough with Syrian President Bashar al Assad and failure in Libya had allowed terrorism and chaos to spread across the Middle East.

Mr Blair told Murnaghan: "Some people will say 'well if we hadn't removed Saddam in 2003 we wouldn't have the problem today in Iraq and the reason I think that is profoundly mistaken is this: since 2011 there have been these Arab revolutions sweeping across the whole of the region - Tunisa, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain, next door to Iraq in Syria - and we can see what would have happened if we left Saddam there in 2003.

Clare Short says Mr Blair was 'wrong, wrong, wrong'

"We have left Bashar Assad in Syria. The result is that there have now in the last three years in Syria been virtually the same number of people killed in Syria as in the whole of Iraq. You have had nine million people displaced from Syria, you have chaos and instability being pushed across the region."

Clare Short, who quit Mr Blair's cabinet in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion, added her voice to the critical chorus saying he had been "absolutely, consistently wrong, wrong, wrong" on the issue.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage dismissed Mr Blair as an "embarrassment" who should hold his tongue - and demanded "an end to the era of military intervention abroad".

And Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's ambassador to the US from 1997 to 2003, said the handling of the campaign against Saddam was "perhaps the most significant reason" for today's violence.

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US Condemns 'Bloodlust' Of Iraq Militants

The US has condemned the massacre of hundreds of Iraqi soldiers by Islamic militants after graphic pictures of their deaths were posted online.

Tweets associated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed the insurgents had killed 1,700 Shia soldiers.

The images showed the Sunni insurgents loading captives on to flatbed trucks, forcing them to lie face-down in a ditch with their arms tied behind their backs before they were shot dead.

Chief Iraqi military spokesman, Lieutenant General Qassim al Moussawi, confirmed the authenticity of the pictures and said he was aware of cases of mass murder of captured soldiers in areas held by ISIS.

Jen Psaki, spokeswoman for the US State Department, said: "The claim by ISIS that it has massacred 1,700 Iraqi Shia air force recruits in Tikrit is horrifying and a true depiction of the bloodlust that these terrorists represent.

Militants have posted images purportedly showing the massacre of soldiers

"While we cannot confirm these reports, one of the primary goals of ISIL is to set fear into the hearts of all Iraqis and drive sectarian division among its people."

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the reports were "deeply disturbing" and added those responsible must be brought to justice.

Sky's Diplomatic Editor Tim Marshall said the release of the images means the militants have now "got the attention of the world".

"It will encourage public opinion (in the US) that something has to be done," he said.

Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki has vowed to recapture territory seized by the insurgents last week. 

But in the latest fighting, residents of the northern town of Tal Afar, near the Syrian border, said ISIS had taken control after a dawn raid.

Iraqi security forces have claimed to have killed 279 "terrorists" in the last 24 hours.

Mr Maliki said: "We will march and liberate every inch they defaced, from the country's northernmost point to the southernmost point."

Security in Baghdad has been tightened after the militants said they would march south to the capital.

Peshmerga soldiers on patrol in northern Iraq

However, Ms Psaki said the US would evacuate some of its staff and boost security at its embassy - located in Baghdad's Green Zone - due to the "ongoing instability".

Three explosions in the capital have left at least 15 people dead and dozens injured.

The US is reportedly preparing to stage direct talks with Iran, set to begin next week, over the situation in Iraq, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The White House, while declining to comment on the report, did not deny it.

Aircraft carrier the USS George HW Bush has arrived in the Persian Gulf as President Barack Obama considers possible military action against ISIS.

The US has "airlift assets" ready to evacuate people if they are requested, the Pentagon confirmed.

ISIS insurgents have been attacking the city of Tal Afar in northern Iraq, using rockets seized from military arms depots.

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Iraq: On The Front Line In The Conflict

By Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondent, in Kirkuk

Along dusty roads, past huge but now abandoned Iraqi military bases, a Kurdish military convoy makes its way to the front line on the western edge of the city of Kirkuk.

Unlike the Iraqi army they did not flee as ISIS gunmen rampaged their way through this part of northern Iraq, previously considered a stronghold of Baghdad's army.

Hundreds of Peshmerga soldiers man a mud berm. The ISIS fighters are a short distance away on the other side and there is regular contact between the two sides.

Bullets whistle overhead as Kurd fighters look for targets and any sign of movement by the Islamists.

The soldiers say that ISIS are holed up in Sunni villages about 800m away and for the past few days have attacked the Kurdish positions, sometimes from trucks mounted with heavy weapons and sometimes with mortars.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces took control of Kirkuk as Iraqi troops fled

The Kurds just want to contain ISIS and keep them from entering Kirkuk once again.

ISIS are now heavily armed after looting the Iraqi army stores and here, as with much of Iraq, they are digging in and consolidating their positions.

Getting them out is going to prove very difficult.

The Kurdish commanders are staggered at the collapse of the Iraqi army but doubt that ISIS can get into Baghdad.

Sheltering from the blistering sun, Brigadier Sideeq Heerani told me he believes that someone gave the orders for the Iraqi Army to withdraw rather than defend their positions.

Kirkuk lies outside the Kurds semi-autonomous region

"There is a hand behind this. Someone is responsible and should be brought to justice, it makes no sense," he says wiping sweat from his eyes.

On the questions of Baghdad falling to ISIS he shakes his head and smiles.

"You think America would let this happen, Iran would let this happen?" he says.

He is probably correct in his analysis, but the microcosm of the Kurdish containment of ISIS in specific northern areas is not a working plan for huge swathes of the rest of Iraq.

Kirkuk was briefly terrorised by ISIS, but is now under the control of the Kurds and life has returned to normal.

The Kurds are trying to contain ISIS around Kirkuk

In his heavily guarded offices, city governor Dr Najmaddin Karim is warning that ISIS will consolidate, introduce Sharia law and fundamentally change the lives of all citizens living in the areas they now control.

He believes that there needs to be an international response and it has to move quickly.

"ISIS are joining forces with former Baath party members and are growing," he says.

"There needs to be a response and it needs to be in Iraq and in Syria where these people have come from. Tony Blair is right this needs to be coordinated action," he says, promising Kurdish support.

While the government in Baghdad, the United States, Iran and a host of other countries consider how to respond to a problem that flowed here from Syria, but was exacerbated by internal rivalries and politics, the fact is that the Kurds are now the only northern resistance to ISIS and its brutal take over.

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PM Urges UK To Stand Up For 'British Values'

David Cameron has said a "worrying" failure to support British values has led to increasing division and extremism in the UK.

He said Britain should become "more muscular" in promoting national values and urged people to stop being "squeamish" about doing so.

His comments come as the head of Ofsted has agreed to meet a group of parents caught up in the so-called "Trojan Horse" inquiry into Muslim schools in Birmingham.  

In the wake of the controversy over Islamist influence on some schools, teachers were told by Education Secretary Michael Gove that they must in future "actively promote British values".

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Cameron said the British values were "as British as the Union Flag, as football, as fish and chips" and it was "not an option" for anyone living in this country not to live by them.

Twenty-one schools are being investigated by the education watchdog

He also suggested that any move away from the "Western model" of democracy and free enterprise would threaten Britain's economic success.

With concerns high over more young Britons joining radical jihadists fighting in Syria and Iraq, he accepted that too much latitude had been allowed to opponents of democracy, equality and tolerance.

"In recent years we have been in danger of sending out a worrying message: that if you don't want to believe in democracy, that's fine; that if equality isn't your bag, don't worry about it; that if you're completely intolerant of others, we will still tolerate you.

"This has not just led to division, it has also allowed extremism - of both the violent and non-violent kind - to flourish," he said in the article.

"We need to be far more muscular in promoting British values and the institutions that uphold them.

"A genuinely liberal country believes in certain values, actively promotes them and says to its citizens: this is what defines us as a society."

Mr Cameron wants school pupils to learn about the Magna Carta

Celebrations are planned next year to mark 800 years since King John signed the Magna Carta at Runnymede which established for the first time that the king was subject to the law.

Mr Cameron said schools will now include lessons for all pupils.

A poll by Opinium for the Observer showed that 58% of voters believe faith schools should not receive taxpayer funding, or be closed altogether.

It found three quarters are concerned there is a serious risk pupils could be encouraged to adopt extremist views in predominantly Muslim schools.

Most, 56%, also thought all faith schools should not be allowed to teach only their own religion.

None of those which faced inspections over the "Trojan Horse" allegations were faith schools but shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt has said he would like cross-party talks on the issue.

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Murnaghan Programme: Live Updates

Blair Denies Iraq Violence Result Of 2003 War

Updated: 10:07am UK, Sunday 15 June 2014

Tony Blair has said critics who believe the violence in Iraq today is a result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

Speaking to Sky News' Dermot Murnaghan, he said the West's inability to get tough with Syria's Bashar al Assad and failure in Libya had allowed terrorism and chaos to spread across the Middle East.

The former Prime Minister said that had the UK not acted to get rid of Saddam Hussein 11 years ago the country would have been in a worst state than Syria now.

He said Britain had to "get involved" to end the crisis in the Middle East but he was not suggesting a "full-scale intervention" with troops on the ground like in 2003.

Mr Blair, who is now Middle East peace envoy, argued there was no way Britain could stay out of Syria because "ultimately, extremist groups also intend to target us".

He said security services in the UK, Germany and France now all say the greatest risk to those countries is jihadist fighters returning from Syria.

Mr Blair also took responsibility for the decision to go into Iraq in 2003 and said the situation in the country would have been the same had Saddam Hussein not been removed because the whole region had been hit by uprisings.

He said: "Some people will say 'well if we hadn't removed Saddam in 2003 we wouldn't have the problem today in Iraq and the reason I think that is profoundly mistaken is this: since 2011 there have been these Arab revolutions sweeping across the whole of the region - Tunisa, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain, nextdoor to Iraq in Syria - and we can see that whatever happened if we left Saddam there in 2003.

"We have left Bashar Assad in Syria. The result is that there have now in the last three years in Syria been virtually the same number of people killed in Syria as in the whole of Iraq. You have have nine million people displace from Syria, you have chaos and instability being pushed across the region."

Mr Blair said the Syrian situation had allowed Islamist militants to gain a stranglehold and the West would have to act because otherwise the terrorists would target the West.

He suggested that it was not impossible to overthrow Mr Assad in part because the opposition had fragmented into the camps of moderates and extremists. He said the way forward would be to establish an "inclusive government".

He also cautioned working with Iraq after the president Hassan Rouhani offered to "work with" the US to tackle the Iraq insurgency. 

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry said American assistance to Iraq would only work if Iraqi leaders overcame deep divisions, the State Department said on Saturday.

After Mr Kerry spoke with Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari, the State Department said in a statement: "He emphasised to the Foreign Minister that assistance from the United States would only be successful if Iraqi leaders were willing to put aside differences and implement a coordinated and effective approach to forge the national unity necessary to move the country forward."

In Iraq, the defence ministry said its forces are having some air strike successes against ISIS fighters who have made dramatic gains in the Sunni heartlands north of Baghdad after overrunning Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul.

"The last three days the Iraqi Army Air Wing has carried out effective missions on militant targets," said General Hamid al Maliki, Commander of the Iraqi Army Air Wing.

:: Tony Blair will be appearing on the Murnaghan programme on Sky News at 10am today.

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Blair Denies Iraq Violence Result Of 2003 War

Tony Blair has said those who say the situation in Iraq today is a result of the 2003 invasion are "profoundly mistaken".

Speaking to Sky's Dermot Murnaghan, he said the West's inability to get tough with Syria's Bashar al Assad and failure in Libya had allowed terrorism and chaos to spread across the Middle East.

Mr Blair says the 2003 invasion is not to blame

The former Prime Minister said had the UK not acted to get rid of Saddam Hussein 11 years ago the country would have been in a worst state than Syria now.

And he said Britain had to "get involved" to end the crisis in the Middle East but added he was not suggesting a "full-scale intervention" with troops on the ground like in 2003.

Mr Blair, who is now Middle East peace envoy, argued there was no way Britain could stay out of Syria because "ultimately extremist groups also intend to target us".

He said security services in the UK, Germany and France now all say the greatest risk to the UK, Germany and France is jihadist fighters returning from Syria.

Mr Blair also took responsibility for the decision to go into Iraq in 2003 and said the situation in the country would have been the same had Saddam Hussein not been removed because the whole region had been hit by uprisings.

:: The full interview with Tony Blair will run on the Murnaghan Programme on Sky News at 10am.

He said: "Some people will say 'well if we hadn't removed Saddam in 2003 we wouldn't have the problem to day in Iraq and the reason I think that is profoundly mistaken is this: since 2011 there have been these Arab revolutions sweeping across the whole of the region - Tunisa, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain, nextdoor to Iraq in Syria - and we can see that whatever happened if we left Saddam there in 2003.

"We have left Bashar Assad in Syria. The result is that there have now in the last three years in Syria been virtually the same number of people killed in Syria as in the whole of Iraq. You have have nine million people displace from Syria, you have chaos and instability being pushed across the region."

Mr Blair said the Syrian situation had allowed Islamist militants to gain a stranglehold and the West would have to act because otherwise the terrorists would target the West.

"Inaction over Syria" is also to blame, says Mr Blair

He suggested that it was not impossible to overthrow Mr Assad in part because the opposition had fragmented into the camps of moderates and extremists. He said the way forward would be to establish an "inclusive government".

He also cautioned working with Iraq after the president Hassan Rouhani offered to "work with" the US to tackle the Iraq insurgency. 

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry said American assistance to Iraq would only work if Iraqi leaders overcame deep divisions, the State Department said on Saturday.

Iran's president has said he would consider working with the US

After Mr Kerry spoke with Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari, the State Department said in a statement: "He emphasised to the Foreign Minister that assistance from the United States would only be successful if Iraqi leaders were willing to put aside differences and implement a coordinated and effective approach to forge the national unity necessary to move the country forward."

In Iraq, the defence ministry said its forces are having some air strike successes against ISIS fighters who have made dramatic gains in the Sunni heartlands north of Baghdad after overrunning Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul.

"The last three days the Iraqi Army Air Wing has carried out effective missions on militant targets," said General Hamid al Maliki, Commander of the Iraqi Army Air Wing.

:: Tony Blair will be appearing on the Murnaghan programme on Sky News at 10am today.

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