Sinjar

Turkey, The Kurds, And The U.S.: The SDF Partnership Hits a Strategic Wall

Masoud Barzani’s February 6 meeting with SDF commander Mazloum Abdi spotlights a decade of U.S. partnering that helped defeat ISIS in eastern Syria, but never produced a political endgame. After holding territory east of the Euphrates, the SDF suffered setbacks in mid-January clashes and then reached a January 30 understanding that allows Damascus to expand security control in remaining SDF areas. Some fighters could be absorbed into Syria’s army, while U.S. forces weigh next steps for ISIS detainee operations and their remaining footprint.

Turkey’s Kurdish peace talks: A genuine effort or Erdoğan’s power play?

Erdoğan is arguably negotiating with the Kurds mainly as a means of securing Kurdish parliamentarians’ votes to extend his rule as president

Al-Hol camp is a test for future of Syria

In eastern Syria, there is a camp called Al-Hol, sometimes spelled al-Hawl, where many former ISIS members reside.

Destroyed by ISIS, a historic minaret in Mosul rises again

The repairs to this site which is in the old city of Mosul on the western bank of the Tigris river that runs through the city, is an important accomplishment.

What does it feel like to drive through Jabalya, northern Gaza, with the IDF?

Reporter's Notebook: Spending a day with the IDF in northern Gaza, into the heart of Jabalya.

Kurdistan regional elections mark a step forward for Iraq’s stability

Elections in the Kurdistan region are important because they provide a beacon of democracy for the region.

Israel Helps Yazidi ‘Bride’ Escape Gaza

Israeli forces enabled the escape from Gaza of a Yazidi woman who had been brought there as a sex slave from Iraq, the Israeli military revealed on October 3. Fawzia Amin Sido...

Lessons, 10 years after ISIS took over Mosul

The defeat of ISIS took years. However, Iraq was able to mobilize against the extremists.

Iraq heads to provincial elections, first in ten years

Today Iraq is trying to put some of its past behind it.

Islamic State’s emir dead after U.S. military raid in Syria

Islamic State emir Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi died during a daring overnight raid conducted by U.S. special operations forces in Idlib province in northeastern Syria on Thursday, according to the...

Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: Late August

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Will Erdogan Use The Threat of Afghan Refugee Flows to Extract Additional Concessions from the European Union?

The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan will have significant consequences for Turkey’s domestic politics as well as for its international relations. In early June, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan...

U.S. announces rewards for 3 Islamic State leaders

On Aug. 21, the US State Department Rewards for Justice Program announced rewards of up to $5 million each for three wanted Islamic State (ISIS) leaders: Sami Jasim Muhammad al-Jaburi, Amir Muhammad...

Burning Bridge: The Iranian Land Corridor to the Mediterranean

Erdogan Threatens to Expand War Against U.S. Partners in Syria

A bomb blast near the city of Manbij in northern Syria...

Turkish Airstrikes Complicate Campaign against IS

Turkish jets carried out airstrikes Tuesday and...