15/06/2014 BBC Weekend News

Pictures emerge in Iraq appearing to show ISIS forces capturing and then

killing Iraqi troops. The images cannot be independently verified.

With the Islamist terrorists in control of large areas of Iraq, Tony

Blair calls for action. Whatever form of intervention we

choose, it's going to be difficult, but it's better than the

alternative. With the ISIS advance on Baghdad appearing to have been

halted, we will report from the capital and from northern Iraq. Also

tonight, David Cameron says it is time to be more assertive about

promoting British values and demand them of everyone in the UK.

With three teenagers still missing in Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu

accuses the militant group Hamas of abducting them.

And the ecstasy and the agony, as England lose their World Cup opener

against Italy. Good evening. The crisis in Iraq

deepened today, with pictures emerging of what appeared to be

dozens of Iraqi fighters being of rounded up by ISIS militants and

later executed. The Army believes the images are genuine. It also says

it has killed nearly 300 ISIS fighters as it battles to protect

the capital, Baghdad. With large areas of the country held by the

militia group, the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, says Britain

and the United States should take action, possibly in the form of air

strikes. We have two reports tonight. In a moment Paul Wood from

Irbil, where many of those injured in the conflict are being treated in

hospital. First, from Baghdad, our world affairs editor, John Simpson,

has just sent this report. In a country not short on atrocities,

this is probably the worst one since Saddam Hussein fell in 2003. The

pictures proudly posted by ISIS on twitter show Iraqi army soldiers

being taken off to execution. The Iraqi army thinks the pictures are

genuine, but they have not been verified independently.

The blood-letting does not stop. Here in central Baghdad today, a man

wearing a suicide vest, quite possibly a sympathizer with ISIS,

walked through this busy street market and blew himself up. Eight

others died, many were injured. When we got there, it was eerily silent.

Until just a few hours ago, this was a typical Baghdad side street, full

of stalls selling things. Now, well, you can see, there's just clothes -

the remains of dead bodies still, down by my feet here and the gutters

are red with blood. But this sort of thing happens almost every day

somewhere in Iraq and scarcely noticed by the outside world.

How did all this start? Many people in the West blame the invasion of

Iraq in 2003 by the Blair/Bush alliance. Sunnis here say the Iraqi

Government has been relentlessly Shi'ite in recent years and has

excluded them. Tony Blair, is unrepen -- is unrepentant. What we

underestimated is once you remove the dictatorship then out comes this

religious tension, and then you are engaged in a different struggle

against that. The type of war we saw in 2003 got rid of the dictator who

held the different religious and ethnic groups together by sheer

ferocity. Without Saddam, sectarianism had free reign, not

only in Iraq, but in Syria and across the region. And now the

American and British troops have gone, the Iraqi Government has to

face an extremist Sunni uprising on its own. If in Syria and Iraq there

is a Sunni extremist entity with ISIS in charge, that carves out a

place for itself, it will be the great irony of the modern era.

President Bush said he wanted to go into Iraq to fight terrorism. There

was no terrorists. There are now. Security in the streets here is

intense. The Iraqi army received good training and good equipment

from the US and Britain, but the events of the past week have shown

that the Iraqi Government still seems to need help.

Intervention is tough. Partial intervention is tough.

Nonintervention is also tough. The best policy for us is to realise

whatever form of intervention we choose, it will be difficult, but it

is better than the alternative. We have to look at Syria and Iraq and

the region in context. We have to understand what is going on there

and we have to engage. It means that we actively try and shape this

situation with our allies in the region and don't believe if we wash

our hands of it and walk away then the problems will be solved. As

today's bombing showed, yet again this country has been horribly

damaged over the years. But the overthrow of Saddam, dangerous

though he was, did remove the one brutal force which used to hold Iraq

together. Much of the fighting has been in

northern Iraq, where shi ya Muslims who fled Mosul said they were

targeted with car bombs aimed at driving them out. Our correspondent

has been to one of the hospitals dealing the casualties. Iraq is not

yet a war of neighbour against neighbour, Sunni against shi ya.

Some say that is -- Shia. Some say that is what ISIS wants.

This man is from a village outside Mosul. The Jihadists sent two

suicide cars to the mosque there. TRANSLATION: After the first

explosion people ran to help. Then the second car explode. Many people

were hurt. Their limbs were blown off. We were asking for help. How

long will this last? You are in your own home and they blow it up. Women,

children - is there an answer? Why does this happen?

His nephew is in no doubt what is happening.

TRANSLATION: ISIS are a gang of mercenaries, they are killing people

depending on their religion. Shi'ites will not stay silent in the

face of this. Of course there were divisions in

Iraq before ISIS came along. People here have told us that they at least

lived with their neighbours. It is that Iraq, that I say the Jihadies

are trying to tear apart with car bombs and bullets.

But many are here because of Baghdad's forces, not the Jihadies.

This woman's son was badly burned when a Government shell exploded in

their home. She is too afraid to be identified.

They were bombing randomly shops, homes, the doctors even thought the

hospital would be bombed. They said, "Take your son and try and save his

life." We are afraid of Government forces. ISIS didn't bomb anyone.

Nothing good will come from this Government. We have no dreams. No

plans for the future of our children. We just want peace.

I would live in the desert if there was no war.

Some have fled because of ISIS. Some because of the Government's

response. Increasingly that split is

sectarian. The war is pulling at the this reds of Iraqi society.

-- threds. Let's return to Baghdad now and our

world affairs editor, John Simpson. On this question of what the West

should do, what did you make of what Tony Blair had to say? Well, so much

of it was about the past, of course. And that was the part that in a way

people are interested in because they always want to know if he'll

say sorry for what he did. But, and of course he wasn't prepared to do

that, but what he is saying is that there does need to be some action

and to be honest, it is very hard to think that President Obama won't do

something or another. He is taking long to decide, but it would be very

difficult, I think for him just to say, OK, we'll leave the Iraqi

Government to its fate. So, I think we can expect, at some stage,

American bombings and American missiles. Though, of course, they

have their own problem too. John, thank you very much.

David Cameron has been defending his plan to have British values taught

in every school in England, saying they needed to be promoted in a

muscular way. His plan is a response to allegations about an Islamist

agenda in some Birmingham schools. Today, the newly appointed head of

the Muslim Council of Britain said asserting Britishness should not be

used as an excuse for Islamophobia. Trooping the Colour this weekend.

For many the ultimate in pomp and circumstance, a tradition dating

back to the 17th century. It symbolises what it means to be

British. Despite such displays, the Prime Minister believes it is time

to be more muscular in promoting British values. In a newspaper

article, he says those values include, a belief in freedom,

tolerance of others, accepting personal and social responsibility,

respecting and upholding the rule of law. Adding, to me, there is British

as the Union Flag, as football, as fish and chips.

In East London today the Muslim Council of Britain, which represents

more than 500 groups around the country, passed a motion, saying it

had deep concerns about the tone and tenor of the debate. Their new head

was more conciliatory. What is more important is that these values are

not seen through a prism of either Islamophobia or anything. These are

values that we all need to work together and exercise.

This debate is particularly charged after allegations of a hard-line

plot by Muslims to take over some schools in Birmingham.

Five have been put into special measures. Ministers say all schools

in England will be required to teach British values from the autumn. It

is a small grup of Muslims who have done this -- group of Muslims who

have done this. Nobody should vilify the whole community. I am trying to

target those small groups of individuals and make sure they

respect each other. The images of Britain are easy to

agree on. Finding common ground on tricky things like values will be

much harder. The authorities in Pakistan say a

comprehensive military operation is under way to target militants blamed

for the attack on Karachi airport a week ago. Civilians have been

fleeing waz irstan, close to the border. Pakistan says 80 militants

have been killed so far, including an Uzbek man accused of

masterminding the attack, in which 38 people were killed.

Israel has accused Hamas of kidnapping three teenagers who vn

been missing for the -- who have been missing for the past three

days. 80 Palestinians have been arrested during searches in and

around the West Bank. Hamas has praised the kidnapping and

denied it is responsible. Israeli soldiers pouring into the

occupied West Bank on the hunt for three missing teenagers. Israel says

the boys have been kidnapped. 807 Palestinians were de-- 80

Palestinians were detained. The missing are:

Like many people here, the teenagers were hitch hiking their way home.

This was the last spot where they were seen and that was three days

ago. As the search for the teens

continued, one of the mothers appealed for their quick return. We

trust that the boys will come home, they were just on their way home.

They will be with us here and we will hug them soon. But this has

quickly escalated into a political crisis. Israel's Prime Minister said

Palestinian militants are to blame. These teenagers were kidnapped and

the kidnapping was carried out by Hamas members.

Hamas does not change this fact. Hamas previously kidnapped Gilad

Shalit. A spokesman said Netanyahu's

statements are silly statements, we believe the latest extensive arrests

of leaders, legislators and negotiators are aimed at breaking

the will of Hamas in the West Bank. Tensions here are increasing.

Israeli-Palestinian relations may now hinge on the safe return of

three missing teenagers. The England manager said he is

confident the team can still qualify for the knock-out stages of the

World Cup, despite their 2-1 defeat to Italy last night. Roy Hodgson

said England put on an attacking and confident display and were gutted to

return to their base in Rio with nothing. Let's cross to Rio now and

join Foster for the latest. Today England's players have been

recover from their exertions last night. Their next game will be upon

them before they know it, that is in Sao Paulo. One they cannot afford to

lose now. It was a long journey home from the

Amazon and England arrived back at their Rio hotel in the early hours,

facing what seems like a long road back into this World Cup. For the 15

million fans who stayed up late watching their team's opening match,

it was a familiar story, as the night veered from jubilation to

desperation. But rarely has defeat given so much

cause for optimism. Raheem Sterling stir's performance

in Manaus. It was his pass to Wayne Rooney that led to the equaliser by

Daniel Sturridge. Italy's second-half winner left a

youthful England empty-handed, but not without hope.

Fans on Copacabana beach this morning, trying to stay positive,

left to reflect on where last night's result leaves England's

campaign. I thought it was a really good game. I don't think England

played that bad. I thought they did really well. They seemed to have run

out of steam in the second half. The temperature probably had a lot to do

with it. If England lose their pace against Uruguay, I think they could

come second. Back at their Rio base, England know

they now have just three days to recover from their exertions in the

Amazon before facing Uruguay in Sao Paulo on Thursday. And an anxious

few days lay in wait. Roy Hodgson's side know defeat to Uruguay could

see them eliminated. This is an open group. Could the team still prevail

and reach the second round? Yes, because we create chances. If you

look so far, what is the damage - three a game. It is all about

attack. England's continued stay in Brazil is already in the balance. A

brighter fewure has been glimpsed. It is results now that will keep

them here. The Maracana Stadium here hosts its

first match at this World Cup tonight with Argentina facing Bosnia

Herzegovina. Switzerland have beaten Ecuador. France's win against

Honduras saw goal-line technology used for the first time at a World

Cup. Karim Benzema saw another shot

eventually of... The goal control system showed the ball cross the

line, even if the Honduran manager was not too happy about it. Well,

away from the World Cup, England's cricketers have a 389-run lead over

Sri Lanka, with one more day to play there. That is thanks to an unbeaten

century from Gary Ballance. From here, on the fourth day of this

World Cup, that's all your sport. Thank you. You can see more on all

of today's stories on the BBC News