Monday, June 16, 2014

U.N. Condemns 'War Crimes' as Tal Afar Falls to Jihadists in #Iraq

See, Telegraph UK, "Iraq crisis: UN condemns 'war crimes' as another town falls to Isis":


Human rights commissioner Navi Pillay voices shock at 'executions' carried out by militants as Isis takes Tal Afar, once a symbol of US military success.

Cold blooded "executions" said to have been carried out by militants in northern Iraq almost certainly amount to war crimes, the United Nations said on Monday, as a key northern town fell to the insurgents.

After the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (Isis) released graphic photographs of its fighters shooting scores of young men, Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, voiced shock over the bloodshed.

Isis claims to have executed 1,700 people after capturing the Iraqi city of Tikrit. Ms Pillay said the figure could not be verified, but added: "This apparently systematic series of cold-blooded executions, mostly conducted in various locations in the Tikrit area, almost certainly amounts to war crimes."

Ms Pillay urged "comprehensive action", saying: "We want to alert the world to address this immediately."
More.

Comprehensive action. What does that mean? The U.N. can do about as much in Iraq as it did in Ukraine, which is nothing.

Also at the New York Times, "Sunni Rebels in Iraq Kill Shiite Volunteers and Seize New City." And at the Guardian UK, "Iraqi city of Tal Afar falls to Isis insurgents."

Above, the Telegraph has captions translating the clip I posted yesterday: "Tunisian #ISIS Jihadist Executes 5 Captured Soldiers in #Iraq — WARNING GRAPHIC."

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