Sep 14 Watch 3:21 News Wrap: Trump again defends Charlottesville comments By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Thursday, President Trump again defended his views on the violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville after drawing fire for saying opposing protesters shared the blame. Also, Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers killed at… Continue watching
Aug 22 Mattis in Baghdad to meet with Iraqi leaders, U.S. commanders By Robert Burns, Associated Press Islamic State militants, driven from their main stronghold in northern Iraq, are trapped in a military vise that will squeeze them on both sides of the Syria-Iraq border, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said. Continue reading
Aug 20 Watch 10:03 Survivors recount atrocities of ISIS occupation in Mosul By Marcia Biggs More than 1 million people once lived in Mosul, Iraq, a city reduced to rubble after three years of ISIS occupation and a brutal nine-month battle to take it back. An estimated 700,000 civilians were displaced during the conflict, most… Continue watching
Aug 19 U.S. says Iraqi forces ready for next battle against Islamic State extremists By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Senior U.S. military leaders said Friday that Iraqi forces are largely set for their next major campaign against Islamic State extremists. Continue reading
Aug 17 U.S. will help clear ‘historic’ amount of explosives in Mosul By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press Some estimates suggest it may take 25 years to clear West Mosul of explosives. The bomb-removing team leader said those understate what is sure to be a long, enduring problem. Continue reading
Aug 17 Column: Here’s what I learned from 3 years reporting in Iraq By Alessandro Pavone Out of the blue, my editor called: “Pack your gear, we need you in Erbil tomorrow.” I had never been to Iraq before, and I had no idea what I was getting into. Continue reading
Aug 07 WATCH VIDEO: Trump’s decision to delegate is ‘key difference’ in gains against ISIS, special envoy says By Larisa Epatko “The rapid turn in decision-making is something that is new and is actually causing us to act with great efficiency and seizing some key opportunities,” U.S. special envoy Brett McGurk said on Monday's PBS NewsHour. Continue reading
Aug 04 U.S. court upends murder conviction of Blackwater contractor By Michael Biesecker, Associated Press A federal appeals court today overturned the first-degree murder conviction of a former Blackwater security contractor, ordering a new trial for the man prosecutors say fired the first shots in the 2007 slayings of 14 Iraqi civilians. Continue reading
Jul 26 Watch 9:14 Some Iraqi forces wage campaign of punishment against ISIS fighters, suspected sympathizers By Marcia Biggs As the battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State nears its end, a new campaign of revenge and retribution is underway by Iraqi forces against those suspected of fighting for or aiding the militant group. Human rights organizations report… Continue watching
Jul 25 5 important stories that are not about the health care vote By Joshua Barajas, Erica R. Hendry, Iman Smith Here are five important stories you may have missed this last week. Continue reading