Iraq Civil War News Updates -- July 15, 2014

Iraq Launches Attack To Retake Tikrit, Politicians Elect Speaker -- Todays Zaman/AP/Reuters

Iraq's army and Shiite militia forces launched an assault on Tuesday to retake the city of Tikrit from hard-line militants as parliamentarians in Baghdad prepared to vote for a new speaker, a possible step towards breaking months of political deadlock.

The Defense Ministry said ground troops backed by air support began their offensive at dawn against insurgents, led by the al-Qaeda offshoot the Islamic State, who have held Tikrit since mid-June.

If the army and its militia allies retake Tikrit, hometown of Saddam Hussein, it would be the first insurgent-held city to switch back to government control since Iraq's latest crisis erupted last month.

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Iraq Civil War News Updates -- July 15, 2014

Iraqi army launches assault on Tikrit -- Al Jazeera
Iraqi troops in fight to retake Tikrit from jihadists -- The Telegraph
Militants press Iraq assault, political deadlock set to drag on -- AFP
Iraq names moderate Sunni parliament speaker in move to break political deadlock -- Reuters
Iraq MPs break deadlock and elect speaker -- Al Jazeera
Iraq parliament elects Salim Jabouri as speaker -- Al Arabiya
Iraq Parliament Breaks Impasse, Elects New Speaker -- VOA
Kurdish minister: 'Iraq is a failed state' -- BBC
U.S. Frets About Shiite Militias and Sunni Infiltrators in Iraq -- NBC
US advisers in Iraq have yet to give advice -- The Hill
Initiative in Iraq is with the Islamic State, not with Washington -- RT
UN warns Iraq of 'chaos' if no political progress -- FOX News/AP
If Iraq Is Full of Oil, Why Is It Running Out of Gas? -- Jason Motlagh, Bloomberg Businessweek