Middle East

Free Syrian Army fighters sit in a house on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, in June 2012. The U.S. is planning to train and arm the rebels, who have been outgunned on the battlefield.

Syria's 'Moderate Rebels' Say They Are Willing, But Need Weapons

10:26pm October 19, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

The Free Syrian Army has been outgunned in the country's multi-sided civil war. But they say they have fighting experience, and if the U.S. provides arms and training they could play a key role.

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World News

Saudi Cleric's Death Sentence Focuses Shia Anger On Ruling Family

9:23am October 19, 2014

by Leila Fadel

Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr spoke out on behalf of Saudi Shia demonstrating against government discrimination in 2011 and 2012. Protesters promise more unrest if Nimr is killed.

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Workers drill for oil in the Bakken shale formation outside Watford City, N.D., an area experiencing an oil boom.

Predictions Of 'Peak Oil' Production Prove Slippery

12:52pm October 18, 2014

by Marilyn Geewax

Just a few years ago, authors were predicting production would soon hit a peak and then decline. But since then, supplies have surged. So are the forecasters now slapping themselves in the head?

Thick smoke rises following an airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition in Kobani, Syria, while fighting continued between Syrian Kurds and the militants of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, as seen from Mursitpinar on the outskirts of Suruc, at the Turkey-Sy

World News

Kurds Hoping To Fight ISIS In Kobani Are Trapped By Turkish Suspicions

3:24pm October 17, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

Turkey's deep suspicions of Kurds are hampering efforts to aid the besieged Syrian border town. Turkish authorities are stopping Kurdish men en route to Kobani and investigating them as terrorists.

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Saudi Arabia's oil minister, Ali Al-Naimi, shown in Kuwait last month, has played down the drop in oil prices. The country continues to pump oil at high levels, saying it wants to preserve its market share. But this has also contributed to a 25 percent dr

As Oil Prices Fall, Who Wins And Who Loses?

2:47pm October 16, 2014

by Greg Myre

Prices are down 25 percent since June, unleashing ripples around the globe that range from lower gas prices in the U.S. to budget problems in Russia to political pressures in the Middle East.

Crude Oil Prices Drop As Saudis Refuse To Cut Production

12:32pm October 16, 2014

by Jeff Brady

The price of oil is down and continues to drop. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to thank, in part, for the lower prices at the pump as it fights to keep its place in the market.

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World News

With ISIS At Its Border, Turkey Can't Decide What To Do

10:13pm October 15, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

Turkey is divided over how to respond to ISIS on its border and to Kurdish unrest within the country, making Turkey a shaky partner for the U.S.-led coalition.

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World News

Critics Say 'Inherent Resolve' Mission Against ISIS Is Underwhelming

6:54pm October 15, 2014

by David Welna

After more than two months of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and an expansion of that campaign to Syria, critics complain too little has been accomplished — and too little is being done.

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World News

Turkey Straddles Western Allegiances And Mideast Realities

5:44pm October 15, 2014

Steve Inskeep talks to Charles King, Georgetown professor and author of --Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul — about how Turkey's geography defines it politically.

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Fractures Within Alliance May Hamper U.S. Campaign Against ISIS

2:18pm October 15, 2014

by Scott Horsley

President Obama met with allied defense chiefs to discuss the campaign against militants from the Islamic State. They've been gaining ground in Iraq and Syria, prompting questions about U.S. strategy.

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