Jun 10 Will more U.S. military might in Iraq keep forces from 'taking a licking'? By Larisa Epatko President Barack Obama’s plan to bulk up the U.S. military presence in Iraq by adding up to 450 more advisers and trainers has come under scrutiny, including from retired U.S. Army Col. Andrew Bacevich, who said he was skeptical it… Continue reading
Jun 10 U.S. to send more troops to Iraq for expanded training mission By Nedra Pickler and Robert Burns, Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama ordered the deployment of up to 450 more U.S. troops to Iraq on Wednesday to advise and assist local forces in an effort to reverse the recent gains of the Islamic State. Continue reading
Apr 17 Iraq's 'king of clubs' reportedly killed in Tikrit By Larisa Epatko Deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein’s right-hand man, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who more recently allied himself with Islamic State militants, was killed by government forces in Tikrit, the city’s provincial governor told the Associated Press on Friday. Continue reading
Mar 16 Four years into war, Syrian Americans renew their calls against Assad, IS By Noreen Nasir, Shehryar Nabi On Sunday, hundreds of Syrian Americans from around the country gathered for a fourth year in front of the White House to commemorate the beginning of the revolution, and to honor the 220,000 people who have been killed since it… Continue reading
Mar 11 Kurdish president weighs broader role in Islamic State fight By Jane Arraf NEAR ZUMAR, Iraq -- Kurdish President Masoud Barzani looks out at the rolling hills beyond the sandbags of a forward command base near the Syrian border. Continue reading
Mar 02 Iraq reopens museum in defiance of jihadist threat By Larisa Epatko The Iraqi National Museum, ransacked after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, has reopened 12 years later displaying ancient winged creatures, tablets and sculptures in stone. Continue reading
Jan 29 'I am Kenji' Facebook page rallies around Japanese hostage By Larisa Epatko A hastily constructed Facebook page, titled “I am Kenji,” calls for Islamic State militants to free Japanese journalist Kenji Goto. His captors gave a deadline of sundown Thursday to work out a prisoner swap for a female attempted suicide bomber. Continue reading
Jan 20 Islamic State militants demand ransom for Japanese captives By Larisa Epatko In a video purportedly from the Islamic State group, militants threatened to kill two Japanese hostages unless they got $200 million within 72 hours. Continue reading
Dec 03 Diplomats worldwide target Islamic State militants By Lara Jakes and John-Thor Dahlburg, Associated Press BRUSSELS — A global fight against Islamic State militants will likely take years to fully succeed, but nations are prepared to engage "for as long as it takes" to defeat the bloody insurgency, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said… Continue reading
Oct 02 Jihadists swap gun photos for cuddly kittens on Twitter By Larisa Epatko Twitter suspended the accounts of hundreds more pro-Islamic State group users this week. And some users have put up a defense -- in the form of a kitten. Continue reading