Iraq

World News

One Former Marine Documents His Return To A Broken Iraq

11:07am September 27, 2014

A decade ago, Benjamin Busch was the provisional U.S. military mayor of a town called Jassan, near the Iranian border. On his recent return, he found a far different, sadder, more frustrated place.

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World News

To Become Oil Barons, ISIS Has Sold To Neighbors And Enemies

11:07am September 27, 2014

Existing black-market structures have helped the Islamic State convert oil into cash - and their customers have included their ardent foes across borders in Turkey and Southern Iraq.

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Ground Forces Needed To Play A Role In Strategy Against ISIS

8:54pm September 26, 2014

Steve Inskeep talks to Michele Flournoy, a former Pentagon official during President Obama's first term, about the American-led strategy, and what will be needed to ensure success.

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World News

U.S.-Led Coalition Airstrikes Hit ISIS' Oil Refineries

12:26pm September 25, 2014

by Deborah Amos

Pentagon officials say airstrikes targeted mobile oil refineries being used by militants of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS. The group uses the money from the refineries to fund its operations.

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An A-18C Hornet attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87, prepares to launch from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) to conduct strike missions against Islamic State group targets.

Airstrikes Hit ISIS-Controlled Oil Refineries

11:13am September 25, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The facilities, captured by Islamic State militants earlier this year, are said to produce $2 million worth of refined oil each day to help fund the extremist organization.

Thousands of Syrians enter Turkey at Yumurtalik crossing gate near Suruc on Tuesday. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned of a growing refugee crisis.

World News

New Airstrikes Target The Islamic State's Oil And Gas Resources

7:29pm September 24, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The Syrian group, which the U.S. and a coalition of Arab partners has been striking in Iraq and Syria, is estimated to get as much as $6 million a day from the oil fields it has taken over.

An Iraqi child walks next to the empty house of a Christian family in Mosul on Aug. 8. The Arabic writing on the wall reads "Real Estate of the Islamic State."

World News

U.S. Bombs Blunt Islamic State In Iraq, But Haven't Forced Retreat

5:19pm September 24, 2014

by Leila Fadel

After more than a month of airstrikes by the U.S., the extremist group still controls nearly a third of Iraq, including the city of Mosul. But residents there say the bombings are lifting morale.

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Lt. Gen. William C. Mayville Jr. speaks about the Syrian bombing campaign on Tuesday in Washington.

The U.S. Bombing Campaign: Is It War Or Counterterrorism?

3:55pm September 24, 2014

by Greg Myre

President Obama has been reluctant to call it a war, yet the administration and the Pentagon boast of a 40-nation coalition and warn of a military operation that could last for years.

President Obama speaks Tuesday about the participation of five Arab nations in airstrikes against militants in Syria.

Obama: Coalition Against ISIS Shows 'This Is Not America's Fight Alone'

4:33pm September 23, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The president praised the five Arab nations that joined in airstrikes against extremists in Syria and said it should be clear that there are "no safe havens" for those who threaten America.

A photo released by the U.S. Navy shows the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea launching a Tomahawk cruise missile against Islamic State targets in Syria on Tuesday.

National

Airstrikes Move To Syria, Target More Than Just ISIS

4:13pm September 23, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The strikes, supported by five Arab nations, are a major escalation in the campaign and hit other extremist groups, including one that the Pentagon says is planning to attack U.S. interests.