US President Barack Obama notified Congress that he is sending 275 US troops to Iraq to protect the US Embassy in Baghdad and protect civilian personnel as they evacuate the largest such compound in the world.  Australia’s SAS are reportedly ready to go to Baghdad should the need arise to rescue Aussie diplomatic staff.

170 of the American troops arrived over the weekend, with the remaining 100 or so en route to support embassy security, although they will be fully equipped for combat. 

Meanwhile, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) jihadists might have overplayed their hand in one area.  They released several videos showing the systematic killing of hundreds of Iraqi troops in the northern areas of Iraq that ISIS controls – UN human rights chief Navi Pillay says these executions “almost certainly amounted to war crimes”. 

ISIS, meanwhile, is adding to its real estate portfolio.  They took the town of Tal Afar, strategically located between the Syrian border – where ISIS militants have several bases – and the Iraqi city of Mosul – which fell to ISIS last week.