Middle East

World News

How Much Pressure Is The U.S. Really Putting On Iran?

7:57am September 19, 2014

The U.S. and other nations have imposed economic sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program. Steve Inskeep talks to Juan Zarate, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

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World News

Islamic State Fight Will Take Time, Diplomacy

6:49pm September 18, 2014

Melissa Block talks to former State Department coordinator for counterterrorism Daniel Benjamin about the level of threat the self-described Islamic State poses to the United States.

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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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Sen. Kaine's Bill Would Limit Obama's Options Against ISIS

7:50pm September 17, 2014

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine is introducing legislation that would authorize use of military force against the Islamic State including language that strictly limits the deployment of U.S. ground forces.

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World News

Gaza's Fate Rests On Whether Hamas And Fatah Can Co-Exist

7:50pm September 17, 2014

by Emily Harris

Hamas and Israel stopped fighting weeks ago. But feuding continues between the two main factions on the Palestinian side — Hamas and Fatah. Their battle has an impact on relations with Israel as well.

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Politics & Government

Congress Thrust Into Election-Year Debate Over ISIS Plan

7:50pm September 17, 2014

by Juana Summers

The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Wednesday on whether to train and arm Syrian rebels fighting against the self-described Islamic State militant group.

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House Passes Bill That Authorizes Arming Syrian Rebels

6:49pm September 17, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

Even though it was backed by both party leaders, the vote split politicians within their own ranks. The final tally on the narrow military measure was 273 to 156.

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.