A member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waves an ISIL flag in Raqqa June 29, 2014. The offshoot of al Qaeda which has captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an Islamic "Caliphate" and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance, a statement posted on jihadist websites said on Sunday. The group, previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS, has renamed itself "Islamic State" and proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghadi as "Caliph" - the head of the state, the statement said. REUTERS 

Members of Kurdish security forces with their weapons take cover in a shelter during clashes with militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), in the village of Basheer, south of the city of Kirkuk June 29, 2014. Politicians in Baghdad and world powers warn that unless security forces recover cities lost to the jihadi insurgents in tandem with a rapid formation of a government that can bring Iraq's estranged communities together, the country could rip apart along sectarian lines and menace the wider Middle East. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah 

Members loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) wave ISIL flags as they drive around Raqqa June 29, 2014. The offshoot of al Qaeda which has captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an Islamic "Caliphate" and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance, a statement posted on jihadist websites said on Sunday. The group, previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS, has renamed itself "Islamic State" and proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghadi as "Caliph" - the head of the state, the statement said. REUTERS 

Shi'ite volunteers run while securing the area from the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) at the desert region between Kerbala and Najaf, south of Baghdad, June 28, 2014. Iraqi party leaders planned delicate talks that could end Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's divisive rule after a top Shi'ite cleric called for a new premier to be chosen without delay to tackle Islamist rebels threatening to tear apart the country. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani 

A Shi'ite volunteer walks with a weapon on his shoulder, as he takes part in securing the area from the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) at the desert region between Kerbala and Najaf, south of Baghdad, June 28, 2014. Iraqi party leaders planned delicate talks that could end Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's divisive rule after a top Shi'ite cleric called for a new premier to be chosen without delay to tackle Islamist rebels threatening to tear apart the country. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani 

Shiite volunteers, who have joined the Iraqi army to fight against the predominantly Sunni militants from the radical Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), demonstrate their skills during a graduation ceremony after completing their field training in Najaf, June 27, 2014. Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the most influential Shi'ite cleric in Iraq, called on the country's leaders on Friday to choose a prime minister within the next four days, a dramatic political intervention that could hasten the end of Nuri al-Maliki's eight year rule. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani 

Shi'ite worshippers attend Friday prayers in Kufa mosque near Najaf, south of Baghdad, June 27, 2014. Iraq's Shi'ite Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the most influential Shi'ite cleric in Iraq, called on the country's leaders to choose a prime minister before parliament sits next week to begin forming a government, to blunt a Sunni insurgency that threatens to dismember the country. REUTERS/Ahmad Mousa