Islamic militants have overrun northern Iraq, taking control of the country's second-largest city and sparking fears of the collapse of the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The sudden downturn is a product of the crisis in Syria, the abject failure of Iraq's security institutions, and al-Maliki's inability — or refusal — to bridge the gap between Shiite and Sunni in Iraq.
The militants are affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, usually referred to as ISIS. Its avowed goal is to establish a Sunni Caliphate, ruled by Islamic law. The group was originally al-Qaida's branch in Iraq, but was disavowed by al-Qaida as too extreme even for it.
ISIS sent fighters to Syria to battle President Bashar Assad, but their reputation for violence forced other rebel forces to turn against them amid charges that ISIS was trying to take over the opposition movement.