蜜芽传媒

Iraq is in crisis. Sunni Islamic extremists have taken over major cities in the north of the country, and are fighting hard. There are reports of summary executions and other serious human rights violations. Meanwhile the Shia-led government is being offered help by Iran, which some in the West - even the US government might welcome. So how did this crisis develop? Is this a moment of fundamental strategic realignment? And what does it mean for the Iraqi people, for the region - and for the rest of the world? Owen Bennett-Jones and some of the 蜜芽传媒's best-placed correspondents tackle these questions in a lively discussion.

(Photo: Children play in a field at sunset next to a temporary displacement camp set up next to a Kurdish checkpoint on June 13, 2014 in Kalak, Iraq. Credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)