Ultimately, the tremors sent by the Islamic State’s militants to Iraq’s and regional security finally forced the United States to stretch its hand once again to the country to fix the mess for which Baghdad is responsible. President Obama authorized air strikes to prevent genocide of tens of thousands of members of an ancient sect sheltering on a desert mountain top from Islamic State fighters threatening to exterminate them.

As the Islamic State militants sweep through the Kurdish region, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Christians and other minorities have fled from fighters who beheaded and crucified some of their captives and broadcasted the killings on the internet. Previously, it was deemed that Islamic State militants avoid confronting with Kurdish Peshmarga and want to deal with their enemies separately. But its relentless advance and capturing of cities of both under the control of Baghdad and Arbil have convinced that despite being incomparable in number, their militants are far stronger and far professional in the battlefield.

Seemingly, the billions of dollars spent on the training and as well as equipment of Iraqi security forces have all gone in waste. As some claim, Baghdad has not taken serious steps to reform the government. It is riddled with corruption and security forces are recruited perhaps with no standard or even merely on account of their religious sect. They are good at getting their salaries at the end of each month but will put the government in shame in the battlefield with groups like Islamic State.

In the recent confrontation in the battlefield, Kurdish Peshmarga also lost its prestige. They proved that they are not far better than the Baghdad security forces. Despite fighting in a large area and variety of battlefronts, they have made spectacular victories across Iraq and Syria. Despite such victory, Baghdad has failed to establish a united front against a shared enemy. Since the inconclusive election in April, politicians are engaged in endemic bickering and have not even come close to an agreement to establish the new government.

Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister is not ready to give up the power. He openly rejected to establish a national united government. He is accused of the present political mess. Meanwhile he refuses to step aside for a less polarizing figure, defying pressure from Washington. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a reclusive 84-year-old scholar has repeatedly pushed for politicians to break the deadlock and reunify the country. Let’s see whether he finally yields to pressure and paves the way for a united national government or not?