Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday reportedly ordered his air force to back Kurdish forces -- despite tensions -- to help them battle Sunni militants who've taken control of several strategic oil fields. State television quoted a Maliki spokesman announcing the move, Reuters reported. Maliki has been accused of stoking tensions with the Sunnis but has also butted heads with the Kurds, who say he hasn’t done enough to keep terrorists out of their semi-autonomous region, known as Kurdistan.
