The state of Iraq

ANU experts have commented on the latest developments in Iraq and US President Barack Obama's decision to authorise air strikes against Islamic State. Australia will offer help to deliver humanitarian aid to people stranded on Mount Sinjar in Northern Iraq, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott has labelled the Islamic State as a terrorist army. Some of Australia's leading experts in Middle Eastern politics and Australian defence policy discuss the latest developments and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's handling of the growing crisis. Associate Professor Matthew Gray, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies "In effect, al-Maliki has launched a coup, pushing back against what he sees as a coalition that's trying to deny him a third term as PM. His prospects are very limited; too many players now oppose him. But the risk for the outside world is that, if he creates chaos in the capital, that will be ISIL's chance to have a real shot at capturing Baghdad." Jacqueline Sutton, PhD Scholar, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies "This was not inevitable. The marginalisation of non-Shia communities has been a process that began in 2003, but accelerated since 2010, when Maliki gained power despite losing the vote.