An Islamic group — called "too extreme" by al Qaeda — is taking over some major areas in Iraq, including Tikrit, a provincial capital, and the oil-exporting city of Mosul, where 48 people are hostages in the Turkish consulate. What's in store for the rest of the Middle East? Also, Defense Secretary Hagel's aggressive testimony on the swap for POW Bowe Bergdahl, and political irony behind the Tea-Party upset of a House Republican leader.
Banner image: A burnt vehicle is seen during clashes between Iraqi security forces and al Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the northern Iraq city of Mosul, June 10, 2014. Photo: Reuters/Stringer