Apr 30 In video message, Islamic State chief emulates other hunted leaders By Tamer Fakahany, Associated Press When the reclusive Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appeared in a video Monday, he was the latest in a series of most-wanted figures to use the medium to communicate with the outside world. Continue reading
Apr 30 Sri Lanka lifts social media ban imposed after Easter blasts By Bharatha Mallawarachi, Krishan Francis, Associated Press President Maithripala Sirisena ended the blocking of Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube and other popular sites, but asked the public to "act in a responsible manner" on social media, according to a government statement. Continue reading
Apr 25 Watch 6:24 Despite loss of caliphate, why ISIS is 'far from defeated' The deadly Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka have refocused attention on the Islamic State, which claims connection to the eight believed suicide bombers. Judy Woodruff talks to Rukmini Callimachi of The New York Times about indicators of the terror… Continue watching
Apr 14 Philippines: US DNA tests confirm death of IS-linked leader By Jim Gomez, Associated Press U.S. DNA tests have confirmed the death of a Muslim militant commander who helped lead the 2017 siege of a city in the southern Philippines and was considered a key leader of the Islamic State group in the region, officials… Continue reading
Apr 05 Should thousands of ISIS fighters and their families be allowed to return home? By Courtney Vinopal While some countries had repatriated former members of ISIS on an ad hoc basis in the past, the fall of the caliphate has forced the U.S. and its allies to seek a more permanent fix. Continue reading
Apr 04 Watch 8:42 After the fall of ISIS caliphate, its capital remains a city of the dead By Jane Ferguson Although the Islamic State’s physical territory has dissolved, immense destruction from the brutal battle to eradicate the militant group remains. In the former caliphate’s capital city, Raqqa, survivors sort through the wreckage in search of bodies, recalling the atrocities they’ve… Continue watching
Mar 23 U.S.-backed Syrian force declares victory over Islamic State By Philip Assa, Andrea Rosa, Maya Arelluzzo, Associated Press U.S.-backed forces declared military victory over the Islamic State group in Syria on Saturday after liberating the last pocket of territory held by the militants, marking the end of a brutal self-styled caliphate the group carved out in large parts… Continue reading
Mar 22 Watch 5:16 Why the caliphate's fall is 'a milestone' but not the end for ISIS After nearly five years of fighting in Iraq and Syria, the Trump administration signaled Friday that ISIS no longer controls any territory in Iraq or Syria. But despite a brutal bombardment, the final holdouts in Baghouz refuse to surrender. Special… Continue watching
Mar 22 White House says Islamic State territory in Syria eliminated By Deb Riechmann, Lolita Baldor, Associated Press President Trump said Friday "it's about time" that the group no longer controlled territory in the region, after a campaign by U.S. and coalition forces that spanned five years and two U.S. presidencies unleashed more than 100,000 bombs and killed… Continue reading
Mar 04 Watch 7:44 Why U.S. policy toward negotiating with terrorists may be risking Americans' lives In “We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages and Ransom,” author Joel Simon analyzes hostage situations involving Westerners taken from Syria. One example: American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, who were executed. Judy Woodruff sits down… Continue watching