Violence has escalated in Iraq in recent weeks as the Sunni Islamist militant group ISIS has seized control of numerous cities and continued its advance toward the capital, Baghdad. Here is a primer to help understand the ongoing developments in the troubled nation:
- Valley gouged into earth by retreating Iraqi troops
- Truck not slowing down for checkpoint
- Ethnic, religious lines
- Field of wind turbines that this whole thing is really about
- Tantalizing mirage of sectarian unity
- Spot where American soldier lost four of his buddies for some vague, difficult-to-recall reason
- Lesser headache
- Brutal Chevron/BP infighting
- Charred remains of democracy
- Child given sweets by U.S. soldiers in 2006 steadying rocket launcher on shoulder
- Ancient Mesopotamian site known as the Cradle Of Disagreement
- Budding terrorist group we’ll have to worry about next year
- Lone Haliburton employee trying to rebuild entire nation
- NYU Basra Campus
- Area U.S. currently hoping to avoid at all costs