On June 10th, the armed group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) captured Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul, with an estimated population of 1.8 million people. Reports suggest that over 500,000 have already fled the city and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has asked parliament to declare a state of emergency to help deal with the ongoing threat. Although ISIS has controlled large swaths of northwestern Iraq and eastern Syria for months, their encroachment on Baghdad combined with the crumbling Iraqi resistance has aroused the concern of the international community.
School Authors: Michael Woldemariam
Other Authors: Yilma Woldgabreal