Middle East

Iraqi Sunni volunteers take part in a graduation ceremony at the Habaniyah military base near Ramadi on June 17. Iraq's military is dominated by Shiites and is trying to recruit more Sunni soldiers.

World News

Iraqi Soldiers, Generals Shift The Blame For Battlefield Defeats

1:05am July 11, 2015

by Alice Fordham

A soldier blames poor leadership for the recent loss of Ramadi. A pair of generals blame everything from corruption to a lack of training and weapons. Will this ever be an effective fighting force?

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World News

Op-Ed Co-Author Criticizes U.S. Efforts To Defeat ISIS

6:10pm July 10, 2015

Former Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy tells Renee Montagne that the current U.S. policy toward the self-proclaimed Islamic State, also known as ISIS, suffers from creeping incrementalism.

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Kerry Says Iran Nuclear Talks 'Will Not Be Rushed'

6:52pm July 09, 2015

by Peter Kenyon

Secretary of State John Kerry says there's progress in nuclear talks with Iran but no deal yet. He says the U.S. won't be rushed.

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Refugees from Syria arrive in Presevo, near the border with Macedonia, in the south of Serbia, on Wednesday. The U.N. says more than 4 million have fled the civil war in Syria, making it the worst refugee crisis in a quarter century.

World News

U.N. Says Syria Represents Worst Refugee Crisis In 25 Years

5:24pm July 09, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The high commissioner for refugees estimates that more than 4 million have fled since the start of the civil war four years ago. An additional 7.6 million are believed to be displaced inside Syria.

Secretary of State John Kerry (right) walks using crutches Thursday at the garden of the hotel where the Iran nuclear talks are being held in Vienna.

Kerry: 'We Will Not Rush' Deal On Iran's Nuclear Program

1:58pm July 09, 2015

by Scott Neuman

If an agreement cannot be reached by midnight, Congress will double the time it takes to review any pact.

Kurdish Forces Retake Ground From Self-Declared Islamic State In Syria

6:34pm July 08, 2015

by Deb Amos

With the help of U.S. airstrikes, Kurds in Syria have taken ground from the self-declared Islamic State. But that could alienate Arab rebel groups — wary of the Kurds — who the U.S. needs to take on the extremists.

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FBI Director Brings Silicon Valley Encryption Fight To Capitol Hill

6:34pm July 08, 2015

by Dina Temple-Raston

FBI Director James Comey went to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to make a case for Silicon Valley companies to continue to let law enforcement monitor communications over encrypted devices.

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Top Pentagon Officials Defend Islamic State Strategy Before Lawmakers

2:50pm July 08, 2015

by Tom Bowman

Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, defending the Obama administration's strategy on the self-declared Islamic State.

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Negotiators Continue Talks On Iran's Nuclear Program Past Deadline

2:50pm July 08, 2015

by Peter Kenyon

Arms sales to Iran and inspections of military sites were two of the sticking points that pushed negotiators past their deadline in Iran nuclear talks on Tuesday.

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Principal Ali Shalalha stands at the entrance of the high school. Though the school has closed for summer, it's filled with students who are studying for exams.

How One Israeli Educator Turned His School Around

6:32pm July 07, 2015

by Emily Harris

At this high school perched on a mountain in Israel, every single senior passed the exams that the principal calls "a ticket ... to better places." Fifteen years ago, only 12 percent passed.

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