Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

A Parliament Without Real Opposition in Syria

A year and a half after the overthrow of former dictator Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Syria’s new parliament is finally taking shape. On July 1, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa appointed 70 lawmakers,...

Sanctioning DR Congo’s Blood Gold Is Smart, but Not Enough

The east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is now at the center of the U.S.-China critical mineral conflict. On June 25, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned a network based in the Rwandan capital of...

The Right Target in Addressing Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria

In May, American and Nigerian forces collaborated to eliminate Abu Musab al-Minuki, a leader in ISIS and its Nigerian affiliate, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Killing al-Minuki...

US kills Islamic State senior leader in Syria, Damascus rejects Lebanon intervention

On June 19, US Central Command (CENTCOM) carried out an airstrike targeting a senior leader of the Islamic State in Syria as the US maintains its decade-long campaign against the jihadist...

Iraq’s prime minister prepares US visit amid Iran threats and militia focus

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi is preparing for an upcoming trip to Washington, DC, Iraqi media outlets recently reported. The prime minister has been working since his May appointment...

Iraq’s New Christian Patriarch Inherits a Vanishing Flock

On its surface, Polis III Nona’s installation ceremony bore all the hallmarks of a thriving church. The new patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Iraq’s largest Christian denomination,...

Iraq Moves to Disarm Iranian Militias While Hezbollah Gets a Pass

Recent moves by Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Imam Ali expose a growing inconsistency in U.S. policy toward Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq and Lebanon.

U.S. Must Apply Strict Conditions Before Lifting Syria’s Terrorism Designation

“The lifting of sanctions is the primary step toward revitalizing the Syrian economy,” Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa told President Donald Trump during a phone call on May 31.  In...

6 Reasons Why Qatar’s U.S. Financial Footprint Warrants Scrutiny

Qatar, a Persian Gulf emirate roughly the size of Connecticut, possesses outsized wealth by sitting atop the world’s largest natural gas reservoir. FDD has meticulously documented that this tiny country...

Mapping Qatar’s $400 Billion Footprint in the United States

Several Iranian-backed militias in Iraq say they accept state control of weapons

On June 3 in Baghdad, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi met with delegations from Asaib Ahl al Haq and Kataib Imam Ali, two Iranian-backed Iraqi militias. He thanked the group’s leadership for supporting...

US Syria Envoy Barrack tapped for Syria and Iraq role

On May 31, President Donald Trump said he was naming US Ambassador Tom Barrack as special presidential envoy to Syria and Iraq. The announcement came a day after it had appeared that Barrack’s role as...

Muqtada al Sadr announces integration of his militia into the Iraqi state

On May 27, Muqtada al Sadr, the well-known Iraqi Shiite cleric and popular leader, announced the dissolution of his militia, Saraya al Salam (the Peace Brigades). “It has become necessary for...

Findings of the Commission on Cyber Force Generation

Shabaab spokesman congratulates JNIM, denounces Western powers in Eid message

Yesterday, as part of its annual celebrations for Eid al Adha, Shabaab, Al Qaeda’s branch for East Africa, released its usual speech for the occasion. Delivered by Shabaab’s official spokesman, Ali...

Why Christian persecution is Trump’s new foreign policy roadmap

During his first term, President Donald Trump made fighting Christian persecution around the world a foreign policy priority. In his second term, it has become something more than that. The...

Washington Killed an ISIS Commander in Nigeria, but Has More to Do in West Africa

Nigeria’s Christians are among the most persecuted in the world. They face threats from Muslim Fulani herdsmen who have raided villages and killed hundreds of believers. They also face threats from terror...

The Terrorist Threat Washington Isn’t Hearing

Terrorist groups are exploiting music and audio platforms to spread extremist propaganda, exposing dangerous gaps in online content moderation and counterterrorism coordination.

Why the United States Should Pay More Attention to the War in Mali

The ongoing civil war in Mali—where a jihadist group is poised to seize power—is spilling over into Nigeria, with ominous humanitarian consequences.

Is a ‘New Middle East’ Still Possible?

With a weakened Iranian regime, middle powers on the edge of the Middle East will increasingly drive regional dynamics.