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I chose this article because I felt that it gave a better view of the conflict happening in Iraq. The article shows how divided the Iraqi factions are, as well as shining a light on what the goals and motivations of the groups are. I feel that it is important for us as a class to look into what drives ISIS and I think this article is a good starting point.

Similar to what Dr. Bradley said, I wonder if the militias that were funded by Iran are simply mercenaries or are actually loyal to the country. Is it possible that this is Iran's attempt to grab land for a weak Iraq?

I was shocked and at the same time not so surprised to find out about the many separate factions and flags flying throughout Iran and Iraq in this multifaceted crisis. The quests for power that these militant groups are involved in has called many "volunteers" to the forefront of the militant groups political and religious ambitions. I'm curious to know about the situations in the areas of the many "volunteers". Are they in areas that have already been compromised, thus they don't mind going to sacrifice their life on a daily basis fighting, or they are so devoted to their religion that they really won't stand to see their sacred Shiite shrine bombed by Sunni factions? As Dr. Bradley questioned, where are all these weapons coming from? How many militant groups are as "sensible" as the Peace Brigade?

"TEHRAN - Three Sunni-led countries joined Saudi Arabia on Monday in severing or downgrading diplomatic ties with Iran, worsening a geopolitical conflict with sectarian dimensions in one of the world's most volatile regions. "

I began my study of the ISIS conflict by reading an article about the Mosul Dam and how it was a crucial breaking point in the ISIS-Iraq conflict. The forces of ISIS previously spoke of blowing up the Mosul Dam when obtaining control, thus affecting Iraq from Mosul all the way down to Baghdad. Militant forces had been engaging in firefights with armed vehicles in villages surrounding the Mosul Dam and managed to gain control. The Kurdish military and Iraqi Forces, were not doing an adequate job fighting back from the eyes of the US, placing American representatives in the area in jeopardy. Obama ordered airstrikes and within two days of continuous air raids, the Sunni' fighters were subdued enough for the Kurdish and Iraqi forces to move in and retake the Mosul Dam. While Obama says this is not a sign that America is completely joining in so Iraqi and Syrian governments can return to a lack-luster, chaotic governing system, the heavy military presence on foreign soil does seem a bit concerning. Yet, what are the other options in defending fellow Americans? Perhaps the British don't have a large number of representatives in the area, the Prime Minister, David Cameron, made sure he informed his country that they would not be joining in the conflict to any extent. With ISIS militant forces inhabiting various other areas, danger seems to be looming in Iraq and Syria. I'm curious to see if any other foreign nations join into the conflict or let the forces stay enmeshed in conflict.

I liked this article a lot because it paints the slippery slope that the United States will face if they become even more involved with the ISIS situation. Currently, the only USA involvement has been airstrikes/ airs raids as the article states. Will Obama continue to approve of the air strikes or will the situation escalate to a point where boots on the ground are required?

This article states that the region of Baghdad in Iraq has suffered frequent attacks involving car bombings, suicide bombings, shootings, and kidnappings that specifically target members of the Shiite community. Though no group or assailant has claimed responsibility for the attacks, it is highly suspected that they were perpetrated by the Islamic State as "a response to the progress of Iraqi security forces". It is also suspected that the Islamic State hope to accumulate Sunni followers by targeting regions with Shiite-led government. With the threat of ISIS looming overhead (in addition to internal gangs and extremist groups, such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq), the Iraqi Interior Ministry has vowed to "have more discipline on the streets". Additionally, in response to the on-going violence, it has been reported that the US, France, and Britain are conducting 6 airstrikes in Iraq on Monday.