Iraqi government in turmoil as conflict spills over borders

Iraqi government in turmoil as conflict spills over borders
Iraqi government in turmoil as conflict spills over borders

Iraqi government in turmoil as conflict spills over borders

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.
Iraq’s civil strife has spilled over to its neighbors. Iran reportedly has been sending unarmed surveillance drones into Iraq and this week, Syrian warplanes flew across Iraq’s border to launch attacks against Sunni insurgents. The attack killed close to 60 Iraqis and wounded over 120, according to news reports. Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who says he approves of the Syria attacks, announced on Wednesday that he will not agree to a “national salvation government” aimed at halting the momentum of Sunni extremists. He said such a move would be a “coup against the constitution and an attempt to end the democratic experience.” U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, met with NATO leaders about Iraq in Brussels. Kerry announced plans to visit Saudi Arabia on Friday. Juan Cole is professor of History at the University of Michigan and author of the forthcoming book, The New Arabs: How the Millennial Generation is Changing the Middle East. He’ll discuss the latest developments in this growing regional conflict. (photo: Iraqi federal policemen patrol in the town of Taji, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, June 26, 2014. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim))