Russian fighter jets arrive

Five Russian Sukhoi fighter jets arrive in Iraq, the first of 25 planes to be delivered to Iraq under an agreement between the two countries.  When attempts to get fighter jets from the US failed, the country turned to Russia and Belarus for help. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki believes militant advances could have been stopped if fighter jets had been deployed:

 God willing, within one week, this force will be effective and will destroy the terrorists’ dens.

In response, a State Department spokeswoman tells CNN:

This kind of blame of others on the outside is quite frankly part of what’s gotten Iraq into the situation it’s in today. It’s helped create the crisis. When we left Iraq, we gave the Iraqis the ability to create a better future. And unfortunately, leaders across the spectrum didn’t step up and take the opportunity. They blamed others and didn’t bring the country together.