As the Obama administration continues to weigh its options for dealing with the rise and spread of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the deadly terrorist cell that has stampeded through Iraq and Syria, the situation in the Middle East is growing increasingly volatile.

In fact, the ISIS crisis has gotten to the point where U.S. officials are now taking precautions to defend against possible attacks on Baghdad’s so-called “green zone,” CNN’s Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.