As Sunni insurgents pushed further into a province northeast of Iraq's capital, the central district

(17 Jun 2014) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus012282 VOICE-OVER: MOTORISTS MAY BE OUT ON THE STREET -- BUT THE MOOD IS TENSE IN IRAQ'S CAPITAL. SHOPS ARE EMPTY -- AND FEAR IS GROWING AS SUNNI INSURGENTS CONTINUE THEIR PUSH INTO A PROVINCE NORTHEAST OF BAGHDAD. THE white house IS POSITIONING NEARLY 300 ARMED U.S. FORCES IN AND AROUND BAGHDAD TO SECURE U.S. ASSETS -- AS PRESIDENT Barack Obama CONSIDERS HIS OPTIONS TO COMBAT THE ISLAMIC MILITANTS. SOUNDBITE: (English) Linda Robinson, Sr. Policy Analyst, Rand Corporation "So, the first order of business is make sure there is not a scenerio...a Benghazi type scenerio where Americans are going to get cornered and killed. But what is going on is a development of a series of options to respond to the threat that ISIS poses in the north of Iraq, but also to Baghdad itself." HUNDREDS OF SHIITE VOLUNTEERS CONTINUE TO SIGN UP TO JOIN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND THE LEVANT -- OR ISIL. AS THEY HEAD OFF FOR TRAINING -- THERE ARE REPORTS THAT PRO-GOVERNMENT SHIITE MILITIAMEN KILLED DOZENS OF SUNNI DENTAINNES AFTER INSURGENTS TRIED TO STORM A JAIL AND FREE THEM NORTHEAST OF THE CAPITAL. HOWEVER, IRAQ'S CHIEF MILITARY SPOKESMAN SAYS THE DETAINEES DIED WHEN THE ATTACKERS SHELLED THE FACILITY WITH MORTARS. TUESDAY -- REFUGEES FROM THE MOSTLY TURKOMEN TOWN OF TAL AFAR IN WESTERN IRAQ STARTED ARRIVING IN IRAQ'S KURDISH REGION -- SEEKING SHELTER AFTER SUNNI MILITANTS OVERRAN THEIR HOMES. ON MONDAY, ISIL CAPTURED THE TOWN, WHICH IS LOCATED 260 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE BAGHDAD. NED BARKER...ASSOCIATED PRESS. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...