In the aftermath of the US occupation, Iraq has become a different country—with the prospect of not surviving as a country at all. The Islamic State has eradicated the border with Syria, and Prime Minister Maliki looks like a Shiite version of Saddam Hussein. He’s asking President Obama for military assistance, which would put the US on the same side as Iran, Syria, and even Russia. Is intervention an option in a country torn by internal politics, violent religious extremism and the threat of terrorism?
Also, Ukraine blames Russia for today's Malaysian flight crash, and the case against tipping in restaurants and bars.
Banner Image: Shi'ite volunteers take part in a training session in Najaf, July 16, 2014. Tens of thousands of Shi'ite volunteers have been mobilized since Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric issued a call to arms in response to the lightning offensive led by the Islamic State, a hardline Sunni group. Picture taken July 16, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer