U.S. Secretary Of State John Kerry Arrives In Iraq During Country's Tensest Time Since U.S. Withdrawal Of Troops

Baghdad, Iraq -- As radical Sunni militants
snatch city after city in their march to Baghdad,
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Iraq
on Monday during the country's tensest time
since the U.S. withdrawal of troops.
He'll meet with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the
man some say needs to step down.
With al-Maliki's Shiite-led government losing
more ground to militants from the Islamic State in
Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Kerry has implored the
leader to rise above "sectarian motivations" to
become more inclusive and more representative
of its population.
Kerry will also meet with Iraq's foreign minister
as well as both Shiite and Sunni leaders.
His trip will "emphasize our highest-level
commitment to Iraq during this time of crisis," a
State Department official said.
Kerry will also speak with key leaders about
forming a new government "in line with the
constitutional timeline that they're on."
But outside the rooms of high-level
talks, parts of Iraq are falling by the
day. Here's the latest on the crisis
that is spilling far beyond Iraq's
borders:
ISIS captures even more ground
ISIS militants continued their violent
march toward Baghdad over the
weekend from both the north and the
west. At least 70% of Anbar province
is now under the control of ISIS, two
security officials in the region said.
ISIS is on a mission to create an
Islamic state across Sunni areas of
Iraq and in Syria.
They've taken over not just the Tal
Afar airbase in northern Iraq, but also
the entire town of Tal Afar, officials
said.
The fighters also seized the western
Anbar town of Rutba, 113 kilometers
(70 miles) from the borders of Jordan
and Saudi Arabia, security sources in
Baghdad and Anbar said on
Sunday.
Then there's Qaim. After ISIS
captured the city along the Syrian
border on Saturday, the militants now
enjoy a stronghold and a number of
other towns in Anbar province. And
that means fighters now have a direct
line to the western outskirts of
Baghdad.
Sharia law spreads
One of ISIS' biggest victories came
when it took over Mosul, Iraq's
second-largest city, earlier this month.
On Sunday, witnesses said militants
took the capture one step further when
ISIS members paraded around the city
in vehicles, announcing on
loudspeakers that it has decided to
form Islamic Sharia courts in Mosul.
Sharia law covers both religious and
non-religious aspects of life, and ISIS
has begun imposing Sharia law in the
towns it controls.
Boys and girls must be separated at
school. Women must wear the niqab
or full veil in public. Music is banned,
and fasting is enforced during
Ramadan.
The military denies huge losses
But Iraq's military says it's not losing as much
ground to ISIS as some may think. The military
actually made a "strategic withdrawal" in some
areas, spokesman Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta told
reporters.
He said the withdrawals were part of a campaign
to "open all these fronts so we can strengthen
our positions." But Atta did not detail the specific
locations.
Two security officials told us that Iraqi forces
have withdrawn from Haditha, about 270
kilometers (about 168 miles) northwest of
Baghdad.
But even if some withdrawals were strategic, it's
unclear when or how Iraqi forces could retake
ares now in the hands of well-armed ISIS fighters.
The military said it has fought back against
militants with airstrikes. Officials showed
reporters footage of airstrikes they said took
place in Tal Afar.
Atta said the video showed a "large number of
ISIS forces fleeing these strikes" that left up to 50
people dead.
Recruiting stations get pummeled
Apparently those trying to join Iraqi forces are at
risk before the even enlist.
In the Shiite-dominated city of Hillah, south of
Baghdad, at least four people were killed in a
shelling attack on a recruiting station. Another 34
people were wounded.
Hundreds of predominantly Shiite men came to
the recruiting station to answer a call to arms to
protect Iraq.
U.S. sends more help
The U.S. will have a greater presence in Iraq
aside from Kerry's visit this week. About 300 U.S.
military advisers will arrive in Iraq, a senior
defense official said. They will not be deployed all
at once.
In addition, some U.S. military personnel already
at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad will be
reassigned and become advisers, Pentagon
spokesman Rear Adm. John Kirby said.
But U.S. President Barack Obama said there's
only so much the United States can do.
"Part of the task now is to see whether Iraqi
leaders are prepared to rise above sectarian
motivations, come together, compromise," Obama
told Kate Bolduan of CNN.
"If they can't, there's not going to be a military
solution to this problem. There's no amount of
American firepower that's going to be able to
hold the country together, and I've made that
very clear to Mr. Maliki and all the other
leadership inside of Iraq."
Chelsea J. Carter reported from Baghdad; Holly
Yan reported and wrote from Atlanta. CNN's
Mohammed Tawfeeq, Nic Robertson, Nima
Elbagir, Arwa Damon, Tim Lister and Hamdi
Alkhshali also contributed to this report.