* Visit comes after militant gains on the border * Iran say U.S. trying to regain control of Iraq * Kerry wants to forge an inclusive government BAGHDAD, June 23 - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met Iraq's prime minister in Baghdad on Monday to push for a more inclusive government, even as Baghdad's forces abandoned the border with Jordan, leaving the entire Western frontier outside government control. Sunni tribes took the Turaibil border crossing, the only legal crossing point between Iraq and Jordan, after Iraqi security forces fled, Iraqi and Jordanian security sources said. The tribes were negotiating handing the post over to insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant who took control of two main crossings with Syria over the weekend. Kurdish forces control a third border post with Syria in the north. Jordanian army sources said Jordan's troops had been put in a state of alert in recent days along the 181-km (112-mile) border with Iraq, redeploying in some areas as part of steps to ward off "any potential or perceived security threats". Washington, which withdrew its troops from Iraq in 2011 after an occupation that followed the 2003 invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, has been struggling to help Iraq contain a Sunni insurgency led by ISIL, an al Qaeda offshoot which seized northern towns this month. U.S. President Barack Obama agreed last week to send up to 300 special forces troops as advisers, but has held off from providing air strikes and ruled out redeploying ground troops. Washington is worried that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government has worsened the insurgency by alienating moderate Sunnis who once fought al Qaeda but have now joined the ISIL revolt. While Washington has been careful not to say publicly it wants Maliki to relinquish power, Iraqi officials say such a message has been delivered behind the scenes. There was little small talk when Kerry met Maliki, the two men seated in chairs in a room with other officials. At one point Kerry looked at an Iraqi official and said, "How are you?" Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday accused Washington of trying to regain control of the country it once occupied - a charge Kerry denied. Iraqis are due to form a new government after an election in April. Maliki's list won the most seats in parliament but would still require allies to win a majority. Kerry said on Sunday the United States would not choose who rules in Baghdad, but added that Washington had noted the dissatisfaction among Kurds, Sunnis and some Shi'ites with Maliki's leadership. He emphasised that the United States wanted Iraqis to "find a leadership that was prepared to be inclusive and share power". Senior Iraqi politicians, including at least one member of Maliki's own ruling list, have told Reuters that the message that Washington would be open to Maliki leaving power has been delivered in diplomatic language to Iraqi leaders. Recent meetings between Maliki and American officials have been described as tense. According to a Western diplomat briefed on the conversations by someone attending the meetings, U.S. diplomats have informed Maliki he should accept leaving if he cannot gather a majority in parliament for a third term. U.S. officials have contested that such a message was delivered. A close ally of Maliki has described him as having grown bitter toward the Americans in recent days over their failure to provide strong military support.Iran accusation The militants' control of the Western frontier extends two weeks of swift territorial gains and boosts ISIL's goal of a caliphate straddling Syria and Iraq. The Jordan border was in the hands of Sunni tribesmen. An Iraqi tribal figure said there was a chance it would soon be passed to control of the militants, who seized the nearby crossing to Syria on the Damascus-Baghdad highway on Sunday. He said he was mediating with ISIL in a "bid to spare blood and make things safer for the employees of the crossing. We are receiving positive messages from the militants." The need to battle the Sunni insurgency has put the United States on the same side as its enemy of 35 years, Iran, which has close ties to the Shi'ite parties that came to power in Baghdad after U.S. forces toppled Saddam. However, Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei made clear on Sunday that a rapprochement would not be easy. "We are strongly opposed to U.S. and other intervention in Iraq," IRNA news agency quoted Khamenei as saying. "We don't approve of it as we believe the Iraqi government, nation and religious authorities are capable of ending the sedition." Some Iraqi observers in Baghdad interpreted Khamenei's comments as a warning to the United States to stay out of the process of selecting any successor to Maliki. Baghdad is Kerry's third stop in a tour of Middle East capitals to emphasise the threat the insurgency poses to the region and call on Iraq's allies to use their influence to press Baghdad to govern more inclusively. He has also been warning Iraq's neighbours they need to step up efforts to cut off cross-border funding to the militants.
More
Cuban president appreciates Vietnam’s support
President Diaz-Canel remarked that the Cuba-Vietnam relations are special, with both nations always showing great respect for each other
Read more
Dubai faces massive clean up after deluge swamps glitzy desert city
Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday's deluge
9 hours agoDengue cases surge by nearly 50% in Americas amid 'emergency situation', UN agency says
Dengue cases have created an 'emergency situation' in the Americas, although cases in hotspots Argentina and Brazil appear to have stabilized, the head of the Pan American Health Organization said on Thursday
13 hours agoMichelangelo's David gets spa treatment in Florence
David's bi-monthly cleaning, then, is 'a form of respect, a form of dignity that we want to give to every work'
1 month agoDubai reels from floods chaos after record rains
Passengers were warned not to come to Dubai airport, the world's busiest by international traffic, 'unless absolutely necessary'
2 days agoHundreds evacuated after Indonesia's Ruang volcano erupts
The volcano, located on Ruang island about 100 km (62 miles) from the provincial capital Manado, has erupted more than three times since Tuesday
2 days agoHighlights
Vietnam, UK sign agreement on illegal migration
The two sides are committed to preventing visa abuse, increasing intelligence sharing, and continuing the process of returning those with no right to remain in the UK
McLaren 750S makes debut in Vietnam
13 hours agoPhotos
Artist paints murals on house to raise awareness of COVID-19 prevention in Hanoi
He drew the virus, vaccine, and earth on the exterior walls of a house
Latest news
Vietnam, UK sign agreement on illegal migration
The two sides are committed to preventing visa abuse, increasing intelligence sharing, and continuing the process of returning those with no right to remain in the UK
American teacher excites TikTok audience with vlogs promoting Vietnamese food
From the end of March until now, Odom has produced many interesting vlogs in which she converses with food vendors in English, showcasing her interactions with local cuisine
Da Nang official hints at rewarding tipsters of stick-on ads
Widespread stick-on ads are a headache for not only Da Nang City but also other major cities in Vietnam
Apparel company fined $11,800 for unauthorized wastewater discharge in northern Vietnam
The company was also required to undertake corrective actions
Vietnamese athlete bags gold medal at Canoe Sprint Asian Championship
She managed to stage a good performance and cross the finish line in 2:18.178 minutes
‘Hoi An in flood season,’ unique product of green tourism in Vietnam’s Quang Nam
This special tour will give tourists experiences of sightseeing in the ancient town and reaching different destinations by boat on high-water days
Dubai faces massive clean up after deluge swamps glitzy desert city
Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday's deluge
Taxi moves backward, almost hits another car on expressway in Hanoi
The taxi moved backward and narrowly avoided a collision with another car
Heatwave could expand across northern Vietnam from today
The rather cool weather accompanied by scattered showers in the northern region will probably give way to a heatwave
Vietnamese film wins top prize at Rome’s Asian Film Festival
This is the first Vietnamese film to secure the top prize at an Asian Film Festival in Italy