Iraq Bulletin: June 2014 is compiled by Elayne Jude for Great North News Service
We began this new series with a concise assessment of developments in Iraq since the fall of Saddam in 2003, followed by our first monthly bulletin for May 2014. Our aim was to present a rounded portrait of a developing society, plagued by sectarian violence, but also undergoing real social and economic change.
On June 10, the extraordinary and unforeseen military initiatives of Isis and the apparent collapse of the Iraqi army made us wonder quite what we could do with this planned regular report. Normal life has been suspended. Large parts of the country are in the frontline, or under occupation, or preparing for extreme eventualities. We decided simply to follow the stories dominating the headlines in Iraq.
