Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned that the offensive by Islamist militants his army is fighting could spill over into neighboring states, as the U.S. weighed options on how to counter the insurgents.  

“They will flee to you and your countries will also be inflamed with sectarian wars,” Maliki said in a televised speech today, without naming nations he considered at risk. His Shiite Muslim-led government yesterday accused Saudi Arabia, the region’s biggest Sunni power, of providing “moral and material support” for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, the group that began its assault by sweeping into Mosul last week.

The conflict with Sunni Muslim militants has weakened Maliki’s control over the country, OPEC’s second-biggest oil producer. It threatens to draw in the U.S. and regional powers including Iran, a key backer of Maliki which said it will fight ISIL should the group move closer to its border.

David Fuller's view

Maliki is losing control of Iraq so he is trying to gain support and warn off adversaries.  Obama is worried about oil prices but he could easily make the US even more unpopular in the region if he supported Maliki’s regime.  A diplomatic private word with the Saudi leaders might be more effective, not least because they are funding ISIS.