MESOP MOSUL : ISIS PUSHES FOR BAIJI OIL REFINERY
An estimated 500,000 people have fled the Iraqi city of Mosul after militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) overran the city. Fighters seized control of government buildings, prisons, banks, and the airport. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has urged parliament to declare a state of emergency calling on “all international organizations to support Iraq and its stance in fighting terrorism.” The United States said the situation in Iraq remains “extremely serious” and called on the Iraqi government to “step up to the plate” to address political issues and instability. On Wednesday, ISIL and allied fighters pushed south into Baiji, which holds Iraq’s largest oil refinery, expanding control from Nineveh province into Salahadin province