Jul 17 U.S. to create the independent U.S. Cyber Command, split off from NSA By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press After months of delay, the Trump administration is finalizing plans to revamp the nation's military command in hopes of intensifying America's ability to wage cyberwar against the Islamic State group, according to U.S. officials. Continue reading
Jul 13 WATCH: State Department announces progress in U.S.-led coalition against ISIS. By Joshua Barajas The department's announcement comes after Mosul was officially declared liberated earlier this week. The Iraqi city had been under ISIS control since 2014. Continue reading
Jul 09 Watch 2:54 Iraq declares victory over ISIS in Mosul By PBS News Hour The U.S.-backed Iraqi army won the battle for Mosul on Sunday, ousting the Islamic State from the city it seized three years ago. Though sporadic resistance by cornered ISIS militants continues, Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory nine months… Continue watching
Jul 09 Iraqi forces retake Mosul, the Islamic State’s de-facto capital By Michael D. Regan More than three years after the Islamic State captured Mosul, Iraqi forces on Sunday retook the city from the self-proclaimed caliphate after months of intense fighting. Continue reading
Jul 07 LISTEN: Tillerson cites cooperation between U.S. and Russia with Syria ceasefire By Associated Press Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the agreement with Russia on a ceasefire in Syria is "our first indication of the U.S. and Russia being able to work together" there. Continue reading
Jun 29 U.S., NATO allies wrangle over troop levels in Afghanistan By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press More than 16 years into the Afghanistan war, the United States and its NATO allies wrangled anew on Thursday over how to meet the need for more troops to counter the resurgent Taliban and help the Afghan forces break a… Continue reading
Jun 27 Pentagon says it detected ‘active preparations’ by Syria for chemical attack By Robert Burns, Associated Press The Pentagon said it detected "active preparations" by Syria for a chemical weapons attack, giving weight to a White House statement hours earlier that the Syrian government would "pay a heavy price" if it carried out such an attack. Continue reading
Jun 19 Syria brings new urgency to easing tensions between U.S. and Russia By Robert Burns, Matthew Lee, Associated Press As Syria's complex war ramps up, the Trump administration is scrambling to tamp down tensions and avoid open hostilities with the Russians. Continue reading
Jun 13 Watch 9:42 What the rising power of Hezbollah means for the Middle East By PBS News Hour Hezbollah, considered a terrorist group by the U.S. and others, has been a crucial fighting force in Syria's civil war, integral to the survival of the Assad regime. While the Lebanese militant group’s popularity across the Middle East has plummeted,… Continue watching
May 27 Watch 7:43 What fuels Islamic extremism in France? By PBS News Hour Since an attack at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in early 2015, more than 200 people have been killed in terror attacks by Islamic extremists in France. A new book, “Terror in France: The Rise of Jihad in the West,”… Continue watching