Iraq

World News

Kurds: U.S. Fight Against ISIS Requires Ground Forces

6:49pm September 18, 2014

Robert Siegel talks with Fuad Hussein, chief staff to the president of the Kurdish regional government in Iraq, about what's needed to fight ISIS and if the government in Baghdad is up to the task.

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Islamic State Seizes Villages; Australia Says It Foiled Beheading Plot

12:14pm September 18, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The Islamist rebels also known as ISIS or ISIL reportedly captured 16 Kurdish villages in northern Syria in a major push for territory. The move has prompted fears of a massacre of civilians.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif speaks during a recent news conference in Rome. Zarif told NPR that the U.S. has been hesitant and contradictory in its approach to dealing with the self-declared Islamic State.

Iran's Foreign Minister: U.S. 'Not Serious' About Defeating Islamic State

7:50am September 18, 2014

by Scott Neuman

In an interview with NPR, Mohammad Javad Zarif says the U.S. has been hesitant and contradictory in its approach to defeating the Islamist insurgency.

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Syrian rebel fighters in the northern city of Aleppo in August. The Obama administration has been vetting rebel groups and decided that more than a dozen are moderate enough to arm.

After A Long Wait, Syrian Rebels Hope The Weapons Will Now Flow

6:45pm September 17, 2014

by Deborah Amos

The "moderate" opposition has been losing ground on the battlefield and pleading for weapons from the U.S. for the past couple of years. They are hoping that their fortunes have finally changed.

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Obama Rules Out Another Ground War In Iraq

2:14pm September 17, 2014

by Krishnadev Calamur

The president said U.S. airstrikes, combined with military expertise, would be more effective in defeating the group that calls itself the Islamic State.

World News

Susan Rice: Islamic State Fight Will Not Be 'Iraq War Redux'

1:06pm September 17, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

In an interview with NPR, the national security adviser said the U.S. will not be drawn into a ground war in Iraq and Syria, even if local forces are insufficient at containing the Sunni militants.

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House Speaker John Boehner has expressed cautious support for the White House plan. He and other House GOP leaders are backing a measure to authorize the arming and training of moderate Syrian rebels.

House Poised To Vote On Arming, Training Syrian Rebels

12:28pm September 17, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The expected vote on whether to authorize the Obama administration's plan to arm and train moderate fighters comes as the president meets with military officials at U.S. Central Command.

Members of Iraqi security forces are seen during a fight with Islamic State militants Sunday on the outskirts of the city of Ramadi.

U.S. Begins Airstrikes In Support Of Iraqi Ground Forces

4:01pm September 16, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The air attacks on Islamic State forces were requested by Iraqi security forces engaged in combat south of Baghdad.

Members of the anti-war activist group CodePink interrupt a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (left) and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Dempsey Says If Needed He Would Recommend Ground Forces In Iraq

2:57pm September 16, 2014

by Scott Neuman

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told a Senate panel he supports the president's plan to combat Islamic State militants but that if it proved necessary, he would recommend U.S. ground forces.

World News

Details Emerge About U.S. Plans To Fight ISIS In Iraq

7:59am September 16, 2014

by Tom Bowman

The U.S. has secured commitments from some Arab nations and allies to cooperate in the battle against the militant group known as the Islamic State.

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