Iraq's bloody 2013

Peace escapes Iraq. At least 4,000 fatalities in 2013 and 1,000 alone in July point to a state that is struggling to meet the demands placed upon it by a well-organised Sunni extremist insurgency. Following the withdrawal of the US military, the lid is now completely off and militants groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are operating freely and with impunity across the country. The only real oasis of peace is the northern KRG region which is a largely Kurd region. The Iraqi state has attempted to co-opt Sunni tribes, attempted political reconciliation and the military option, but to no avail. The militants want Iraq and they want the Shiites, the majority in Iraq, gone. The likelihood of a settlement in the medium term remains unlikely and a continuation of the current attack cycle is likely to continue.