Middle East

Syrian Rebels Will Face ISIS, But The U.S. May Not Have Their Backs

5:20pm March 14, 2015

by David Welna

The U.S. is about to start training moderate Syrian rebels to fight ISIS militants. But Obama's plan for fighting ISIS is mute on protecting that force against the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad.

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The Bedouin camp has a black plastic water tank near a school built from mostly mud and tires.

World News

The West Bank Battle For Land ... And Water

1:45pm March 14, 2015

by Emily Harris

In the 1990s, Israelis and Palestinians made temporary arrangements in the West Bank as they worked toward a peace deal. The talks are now in the deep freeze, but the arrangements are entrenched.

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Stav Shaffir, 29, left, is considered a rising star in the left-leaning Labor Party. Anat Roth, 40, is a candidate for the Jewish Home Party.

World News

2 Israeli Candidates Struggle With Nation's Uncertain Future

1:43pm March 14, 2015

by Steve Inskeep

The women, running for the Israeli parliament, share little beyond that concern. One sees a two-state solution as hopeless and supports West Bank settlers. The other sees them as an obstacle to peace.

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World News

'Important Gaps' Remain In Nuclear Talks With Iran, Kerry Says

1:00pm March 14, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

The U.S. secretary of state also said he will use talks Sunday in Switzerland to assure his interlocutors that a letter from GOP senators on the validity of a nuclear deal with Iran carries no weight.

Israeli Politician Changed Her Mind On Palestinian Conflict

8:00pm March 13, 2015

by Steve Inskeep

NPR's Steve Inskeep profiles the right-wing Israeli politician Anat Roth. Over the last 20 years, she has gone from campaigning for a Palestinian state in the West Bank to now advocating that Israel annex much of that land for itself.

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President Obama is shown in the Oval Office in the White House March 3, where he spoke about yet another topic: Iran and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress.

Obama 'Embarrassed' For Republicans Who Wrote Iran Letter

4:38pm March 13, 2015

by Scott Horsley

In two interviews, the president weighs in on controversies over the letter 47 Republicans wrote to the leaders of Iran and Hillary Clinton's use of a private email account.

World News

Iraqi Army Faces Critical Test In Battle Over Tikrit

9:48am March 13, 2015

The Iraqi city is the centerpiece of a battle between the self-proclaimed Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and Iraqi government forces. Renee Montagne talks to Anne Barnard of The New York Times.

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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker contends that the next president might not be bound by a nuclear deal President Obama strikes with Iran.

How The Iran Letter Is Playing In The 2016 Campaign

9:09pm March 12, 2015

by Emily Martinez

Republican presidential contenders are backing the letter to Iran from 47 GOP senators.

World News

Like The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, Area C Is Complicated

1:38pm March 12, 2015

by Emily Harris

We journey the rugged hills and windy roads of what's known as Area C. It comprises most of the Israeli-occupied West Bank — it's where Israelis and Palestinians rub shoulders as closely as anywhere.

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ISIS Gains Ground In Libya; Takes Over Port City Of Surt

1:15pm March 12, 2015

Steve Inskeep talks to David Kilpatrick of The New York Times, who reports that Libya has become so chaotic that a door has been opened for the self-proclaimed Islamic State to expand in the country.

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