Apr 28 Biden cites 'serious' progress toward defeating IS in Iraq By Josh Lederman, Associated Press BAGHDAD — Vice President Joe Biden pressed Iraq on Thursday not to let its crippling political crisis upend hard-fought gains against the Islamic State group as he returned to the country that's come to symbolize America's relentless struggles in the… Continue reading
Apr 25 Watch 8:13 How can U.S. use its forces most effectively against ISIS? By PBS News Hour President Obama approved the deployment of up to 250 additional military personnel to Syria to aid the fight against the Islamic State group, while the resumption of heavy fighting in the Syrian civil war has all but derailed UN efforts… Continue watching
Apr 20 Carter presses Gulf nations to do more in Iraq By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Defense Secretary Ash Carter pressed reluctant defense ministers from six Gulf nations Wednesday to provide more economic and political support to Iraq now to help the war-torn nation in its fight against the Islamic State Group. Continue reading
Apr 19 Watch 7:47 How the U.S. military is supporting Iraq against ISIS By PBS News Hour Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced Monday that the U.S. will be sending 217 more soldiers into Iraq, bringing total American strength there over 4,000. The news comes as Iraqi forces begin their advance on the Islamic State-held city of… Continue watching
Apr 18 U.S. to send 200 more troops, Apache helicopters, to Iraq By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press BAGHDAD -- The U.S. has agreed to deploy more than 200 additional troops to Iraq and to send eight Apache helicopters for the first time into the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq, the first major increase in… Continue reading
Apr 10 Watch 1:32 Yazidis of Iraq turn to truffles to make ends meet By Zachary Green Yazidis, a religious minority in Iraq who have been persecuted by Islamic State militants, have turned to the sometimes dangerous job of searching for truffles for income. IEDs can be hidden in the fields. They earn about $8 on an… Continue watching
Apr 09 Kerry meets with leaders in Iraq, Afghanistan to discuss ISIS, Taliban By Bradley Klapper, Associated Press U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hoped a brief stop Saturday in Afghanistan would help promote cooperation from a would-be "unity" government that has proved largely incapable of running the country less than two years after he worked to install… Continue reading
Apr 05 Watch 5:49 As ISIS loses ground, scholars return to beloved historical sites By PBS News Hour The spread of the Islamic State militants and other extremist groups across the Middle East and North Africa forced international archaeologists to abandon dozens of beloved historical sites like Mosul and Palmyra. But as ISIS begins to lose momentum and… Continue watching
Apr 04 Watch 6:12 Why the Peshmerga, key ally against ISIS, are broke By PBS News Hour Since the Islamic State overran much of Iraq in 2014, Kurdistan and its Peshmerga militia have been waging a long battle for freedom; today, they are a top ally in the fight against ISIS. But constant warfare and government instability… Continue watching
Apr 02 Watch 3:47 Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr reemerges as key player in Iraqi politics By PBS News Hour A Shiite Muslim cleric whose militia repeatedly battled American soldiers during the U.S. war a decade ago has emerged as a key player in the Iraqi parliament. The Washington Post's Liz Sly joins Hari Sreenivasan via Skype from Baghdad to… Continue watching