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Iraqis sign up for military service to help battle an al Qaeda-inspired …
The al Qaeda-inspired terrorist army in Iraq ultimately wants to capture Baghdad International Airport and begin a campaign to destabilize neighboring Jordan, an important U.S. ally, analysts say.
The Islamic State organization — formerly the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant — is attempting to move within striking distance as Iraqi officials in Baghdad on Wednesday reported discovering the bodies of 50 men in a possible sectarian massacre.
Seizing Baghdad’s commercial transportation hub would be a giant step toward isolating the Shiite majority government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. It also would advance its goal of taking the capital itself, thereby endangering thousands of Americans who might need a quick evacuation.
“ISIL is ultimately going to assault Baghdad and probably close down Baghdad International Airport within the next couple of weeks,” said Larry Johnson, a former State Department counterterrorism official. “They are moving methodically, consolidating their gains and reinforcing positions — not just trying to go running around with their hair on fire.”