Maliki vows to recapture Falluja from al Qaeda

In a televised speech to the nation Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki vowed to recover Falujja and other parts of Anbar Province captured by Al Qaeda in the past 48 hours. He also appealed to the Sunni politicians and tribal chiefs who back Al Qaeda’s offensive to reconsider their actions before it is too late. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that Maliki ordered the Iraqi army’s 6th Division to advance on Falluja. There are no signs of Iraqi troops in its vicinity as yet. However, Al Qaeda’s ISIS forces are expanding their presence in Ramadi and the northern oil city of Mosul. In Baghdad, two bomb cars blew up in the Shiite suburbs, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens.