Iraq crisis: Embattled PM Nouri Maliki in show of force
August 11, 2014  09:03
BBC reports: Security forces loyal to Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki have appeared in force in the capital Baghdad after he went on state TV to criticise the president.

Maliki is seeking a third term but has faced calls to step down amid the jihadist insurgency in the north. The US, which has urged Iraq to form an inclusive government, issued a statement backing President Fuad Masum.

Earlier, Iraqi Kurds appealed for international military aid to help defeat the Islamist militants.

The US has already launched four rounds of air strikes targeting Islamic State  fighters near Irbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan.
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