Iraq Forces 'Retake' Oil Refinery From ISIS

Iraqi forces have regained full control of the country's biggest oil refinery after heavy fighting with Sunni militants attempting to seize it, the authorities claim.

The retaking of the plant in Baiji, north of Baghdad, comes amid calls for the Iraqi prime minister Nouri al Maliki to quit as a condition of US help in driving back insurgents who have seized large swathes of the country.

And speaking on Sky News, Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warned that the government in Baghdad risked splitting the country unless it reached out to all groups.

The administration of Mr al Malaki has requested that America launch airstrikes against the ISIS extremists, whose lightning offensive in the north of the country - including the capture of the city of Mosul - saw the US-bankrolled military crumble.

A member of the Iraqi security forces guards volunteer fighters in Baghdad

US President Barack Obama is to make a statement on the crisis at 5.30pm BST following meetings with his national security team in the White House Situation Room.

The advance of the al Qaeda breakaway group has only been slowed by a regrouped army, Shia militias and volunteers, who have signed up to join the battle against the militants. 

Officials say US action is not imminent, partly because intelligence agencies have been unable to identify clear targets on the ground.

David Petraeus has warned over the risks of the US providing air support

But unnamed officials have said the President is set to announce the deployment of 100 special forces troops to help train and advise Iraqi forces.

A potential obstacle to US military involvement is Mr al Maliki, who has been blamed for alienating Iraq's Sunni minority, leading to sectarian rifts and contributing to the current crisis.

Several leading figures in Congress from across the political divide have spoken out against the premier.

The oil refinery at Baiji has been the scene of fierce fighting

Dianne Feinstein, the Democrat chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said: "The Maliki government, candidly, has got to go if you want any reconciliation."

Republican senator John McCain backed military support but urged Mr Obama to "make it make very clear to Maliki that his time is up".

Mr Rasmussen warned on Sky News: "Unless the government reaches out to other groups in Iraqi society, there's a clear risk that the country will be split."

And General David Petraeus, who led the US troop surge ahead of America pulling out of Iraq, says there should not even be air support without major change in Baghdad.

ISIS militants claim to have captured an airbase in Tal Afar

The former CIA chief warned Washington risked becoming an "air force for Shiite militias", if it agreed to the request for support.

However, President Barack Obama has indicated he does not need authorisation from Congress to take any steps over action in Iraq.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Mr al Maliki said the PM will not step down, insisting his administration was inclusive, with Sunni Muslims represented in key roles.

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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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Spain's New King Felipe VI Officially Sworn In

Felipe VI has been officially sworn in as the new king of Spain at the country's parliament following the abdication of his father, Juan Carlos.

The swearing-in ceremony lacked the usual pomp and ceremony associated with a royal coronation in recognition of the hardship being endured by many Spaniards in austere times.

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

Felipe VI with his wife, Queen Letizia, and their children greet the crowds

"We have a great country. We should all be proud of being Spaniards," Felipe, who officially ascended to the throne at midnight, said at the ceremony.

Felipe promised "a renewed monarchy for new times", after scandals tainted his father's reign.

To shouts of "Viva el Rey (Long live the king)!", Felipe said: "Today, more than ever, the people rightly demand our public lives be guided by... moral and ethical principles."

He ended his speech by saying "thank you" in three Spanish regional languages - Catalan, Basque and Galician - where independence movements are strongest.

Felipe's mother, Sofia, during the swearing-in ceremony

Felipe, a former Olympic yachtsman, was then honoured with a military parade before being driven through the sunny streets of central Madrid with his wife, Queen Letizia, a former journalist.

Thousands of supporters lined the streets and cheered the king - the occasion providing a welcome distraction to Spaniards reeling from their team's shock exit from the World Cup.

The newly crowned king, his wife and their daughters, Princesses Leonor, 8, and Sofia, 7, then greeted crowds from the balcony of the Royal Palace with other members of the royal family.

Felipe later disappeared to host an afternoon reception at the Royal Palace with 2,000 guests from all walks of society.

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

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

Monarchists hope Felipe becoming king 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, 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.

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Boko Haram Threat Spreads Into Cameroon

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Cameroon

The Nigerian-born Islamic militant group Boko Haram is terrorising communities inside neighbouring Cameroon and snatching young boys from across the border and forcing them to join the sect.

We saw abandoned villages and burned-out schools inside Cameroon, despite the presence of hundreds of troops including some of the country's top soldiers from the elite rapid response unit Battalion D'Intervention Rapide (BIR).

The huge 1,243-mile (2,000km) border with Nigeria is mostly unmanned and un-policed, allowing Boko Haram to cross over and mount attacks inside Cameroon with horrifying regularity.

Soldiers from the BIR are desperately trying to stop the spread of Boko Haram in their country.

But the sect, which appears to be trying to create an Islamic fundamentalist belt across West Africa, continues to wreak terror and destruction all along the border.

Nigeria has accused Cameroon of not doing enough and has said Boko Haram fighters and leaders are using the country as a safe haven.

But the country's military leaders insist that is not the case.

Cameroon Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Badjeck told us: "They are not in Cameroon. Why would we allow that? This is bad for Cameroon.

"We are suffering, too, at the hands of Boko Haram."

Cameroon has put elite troops on the border

He said the country may have reacted slowly to the Boko Haram threat but had reacted as soon as they realised it was growing and encroaching into Cameroon.

There are now hundreds of troops including those from the elite BIR unit, in the north.

The border lines are often difficult to decipher with no markings or obvious difference between the two countries.

In the town of Amchide, the border cuts right through the town with roughly two-thirds of the town under Nigerian control and the remaining third in Cameroon territory.

We were with the elite unit as soldiers patrolled through the town and up to a rope across the road which signalled the end of Cameroon land.

About 100 metres away, some Nigerian soldiers cheerily greeted their counterparts.

Alex Crawford is with the elite Cameroon unit BIR as it fights extremists

There appears to be much more cordial relations on the ground among the foot soldiers than there is between their respective political masters.

In other communities, the villagers told us how Boko Haram militants stormed in during the day, trying to snatch young boys to add to their recruits.

One young lad told us how he was approached by the militants as he worked in the fields.

They at first tried to persuade him to join them. When he refused, the situation turned ugly but somehow he managed to run away.

The eyes of the world are on Syria and Iraq at the moment as the Islamic militants there shock with their brutal attempts to wrestle control of swathes of both countries.

But according to the Cameroon military, the Islamic militants of Boko Haram are fighting a similar terror campaign in West Africa.

The sect is spreading across the northeast of its own country but also spilling over into its neighbours.

Cameroon, with its long, unchecked border, is possibly most vulnerable.

And so far, despite the attempts of even some of its top soldiers, the Boko Haram fighters, far from being defeated, appear to be growing in strength and numbers.

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Saddam's Red-Haired Iraq Deputy Back In The Fray

An uncompromising violent extremist movement, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has an unlikely, secular, ace in its pack - or rather a king.

More precisely, the King of Clubs, as Izzat Ibrahim al Douri - the most senior surviving member of Saddam Hussein's inner circle - was dubbed in the US Most Wanted deck of cards issued during the hunt for members of the Baath Party.

A playing card with an image of al Douri

The former deputy to the executed dictator, al Douri has been reported to have died, twice.

But he has emerged as a galvanising figure behind the enormous success that ISIS has had during its offensive in northern Iraq.

He evaded capture by the Americans and formed the Naqshbandia group of Baathist officers, all of them hardened by war with Iran in the 1980s, to lead attacks against US and allied forces during their occupation of Iraq.

The Baath Party shunned fundamentalist Islam and jailed conservative clerics favouring a pan-Arab secular socialist future which quickly mutated into a reign of terror under Saddam Hussein.

But the Naqshbandia have joined forces with ISIS now because they share a vision of a return to Sunni dominance of Iraq.

This may explain why ISIS has met little resistance from Sunnis in the north of the country who are already deeply suspicious of the Shia-dominated central government in Baghdad.

The tribes around Mosul and in Tikrit were the most fiercely loyal to the Saddam regime.

ISIS fighters in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul

Al Douri's presence in an alliance with ISIS has made it easier to swing the population in the Sunni north behind what both groups hope will escalate into a wider Sunni revolution.

The latest ISIS annual report painstakingly details the tactical and strategic efficacy of every attack in Iraq, sub-grouped by type of weapon, type of attack, and effect on the local population.

It also details efforts to 'reform' Sunni militia who fought al Qaeda and policemen serving the state - part of a programme to rapidly expand ISIS ranks.

Its meticulous detailing of assassination, selective murder and terrorism has all the hallmarks of well-trained senior staff officers from a formal army.

Al Douri was one of the late dictator's most trusted aides

And points further to the close involvement of senior members of Saddam's former military machine.

There have been several unverified social media reports from sources showing detailed insider knowledge of ISIS that some of Saddam's generals have joined their ranks in senior positions.

This, therefore, adds greater urgency to the need to bring Sunnis into the central government.

ISIS has been charting its brutality in annual reports

"We want to do everything we can to avoid sectarian violence. We have been saying for years that the central government must include Sunnis in genuine power with a full state in the future," Dr Dhiya el al Assadi, a recently elected Shia MP said.

The same message has been coming from Sunni leaders, Washington and Tehran.

There is no sign yet that it has been received by Iraq's Prime Minister who seems to believe he has other cards to play.

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North Korea's Kim Jong-Un Joins Submarine Crew

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been photographed taking a ride on the pride of his navy - an aging submarine.

Photos appeared on state television of the dictator posing on the galley of the submarine's conning tower, meeting the ship's crew and apparently directing naval manoeuvres.

South Korea's government expressed surprise at the move as the pictures clearly showed the inside of one of the North's most powerful ships.

The South's Yonhap News Agency said the "rusty, green submarine" was thought to be a 1,800-ton Soviet-built Romeo-class vessel, built in the 1950s.

Lines on the side of the conning tower suggest it has been repaired

Pictures of the side of the conning tower showed what looked like furrows or lines where the metal could have undergone repairs.

Yonhap said that the pictures were taken during a visit by Kim to the Korean People's Army's Naval Unit 167.

It quoted North Korea's own news agency KCNA which said that Kim toured "submarine No. 748", guided a navy drill aboard the vessel and taught "navigation methods to its captain".

KCNA quoted Kim as saying: "The Party Central Committee is attaching great importance to the combined units of submarines.

"The commanding officers and seamen should clearly see through the motives of the hateful enemies watching for a chance to invade our land and put spurs to combat preparations, thinking about battles only."

The vessel is thought to be a 1950s Soviet Romeo-class submarine

South Korea's defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said: "It is quite unusual that North Korea revealed even the inside of its submarine.

"It appears that Pyongyang aims to show off its submarine might, but the submarines that our Navy holds are far superior to (the North's), as ours do not make much noise and it can stay underwater far longer."

The South Korean ship Cheonan is believed to have been sunk by a torpedo fired from a North Korean submarine in 2010.

According to a multinational report written for the UN's security council looking into the incident, North Korea has around 70 submarines, including about 20 Romeo-class vessels, 40 Sango class (300 tons) and 10 midget submarines (70-80 tons).

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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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Kurdish Female Force Ready To Battle Militants

By Sherine Tadros, Middle East Correspondent, in Sulaymaniyah

Three hours from Irbil, in the mountains of Sulamaniya, Kurdish Peshmerga forces are training hard. They are well-armed, disciplined and ready to fight to defend Kurdistan.

But these are not your ordinary Peshmerga. This is the elite women's force.

Colonel Rasheed decided to start the women's unit so she could help defeat former president Saddam Hussein after his militias killed her uncle.

Her three brothers are Peshmerga and fighting in Kirkuk right now.

At the moment the troops are protecting towns and villages

"We told the commanders in Kirkuk we are ready to fight against ISIS," she told Sky News.

"The female forces have combat experience and we have had the same training as the men.

"It's our responsibility too."

Their main task though is to help protect town centres and villages.

There are only around 600 recruits - but what they lack in numbers they make up for in sheer determination.

The division started in 1997

Nineteen-year-old Daria says all she ever wanted to do was join the force; her mother is also a fighter.

"I became a Peshmerga to protect Kurdistan against the enemies who want to attack us, we have to stay united at this time," Daria said.

Kurdish female fighters have a long history in this region and the PKK's female guerrillas have become an effective and well known fighting force.

The Peshmerga women's division started in 1997.

There is a long history of Kurdish female fighters in the region

For the recruits it is a source of pride and national duty.

First they fought against Saddam loyalists and then al Qaeda fighters.

Now they say they are ready to fight against Islamist militants if needed.

As the Iraqi Army continues to fracture, so far the Peshmerga have managed to stick together, putting the security of Kurdistan above religion and politics.

They are a united force in a divided country.

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Germany Cave Rescue Of Trapped Explorer Filmed

Video has emerged of painstaking attempts by emergency services to rescue a German explorer from a 1,000m-deep cave system.

Johann Westhauser, 52, suffered head injuries during a rock fall on Sunday 8 June while exploring the Riesending caves, near the town of Berchtesgaden by the Austrian border.

Film shot by Italian rescuers shows Mr Westhauser being carried on a stretcher stage-by-stage through the cave after spending nearly a week underground while waiting to be rescued.

In order to reach him the rescue team had to traverse difficult terrain including complex vertical shafts and narrow passages.

Doctors had to manoeuvre some 4km into the cave to reach Mr Westhauser and make sure he was fit and well enough to be brought out safely.

Mr Westhauser was exploring the cave system - the deepest of its kind in Germany - with two other people who were not hurt, when the rock fall happened 6km (3.7 miles) from the entrance.

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Hague: Britons Are Fighting With ISIS

Foreign Secretary William Hague has said a number of Britons are fighting with ISIS which has taken over large parts of Iraq.

He told the Commons that about 400 UK nationals were involved in the conflict in Syria and some of them were fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 

Footage has emerged which appears to show an ISIS fighter questioning and killing Iraqi soldiers.

It comes after the insurgents, who have seized large swathes of territory in the past week, released graphic pictures purporting to show some of the 1,700 Shia soldiers they claim have shot dead near Tikrit.

According to a translation of the first clip, militants order their prisoners to chant the ISIS slogan "Baqiya", which is thought to mean "(ISIS) will remain in existence" or "Islamic state will stay".

When asked where the government forces are, a soldier replies they have left.

More follows...

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