War, Oil, and Intervention as Key Iraq Refinery Sustains Attack

Sunni insurgents attempted to overrun Iraq’s largest refinery late Tuesday night outside the city of Baiji but have reportedly been repelled by Iraqi Army units after a lengthy battle that left parts of the facility on fire and dozens of people dead.

As the fighting inside Iraq continues, Obama administration officials have made new comments about the likelihood of U.S. drone strikes targeting fighters aligned with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The New York Times reports:

As Common Dreams reported Tuesday, a growing chorus of anti-war voices in the U.S. and elsewhere are warning against a military response from the Obama administration.

Meanwhile, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has again voiced his nation’s willingness and determination to send additional forces in order to protect key areas, including religious shrines, in eastern regions of the country.