Anatomy of a ‘caliphate’: The rise and fall of ISIS
As people in Syria and across the globe await the imminent defeat of ISIS in Syria, analysts are already speculating about the future of the terror group. One thing that most experts agree one, is that after the fall of Baghouz, the Islamic State’s last enclave on Syrian territory, ISIS
U.S. Pressures Iraq Over Embrace of Militias Linked to Iran
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is traveling to the Middle East this week as part of US President Trump’s efforts to isolate Iran. Pompeo will try to get support from Kuwait, Israel and Lebanon for the strategy that has not been welcomed by US allies in Europe and has
Iran’s president visits Iraq to strengthen ties amid US pressure
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Monday arrived in Iraq for his first official visit to the neighboring country. In the coming days, Rouhani and his large delegation aim to secure trade and investment deals. The visit is significant as it demonstrates Iran’s influence in Iraq, which shows that the US
Iraq defeated ISIS more than a year ago. The group’s revival is already underway
Even though the government of Iraq announced its victory over ISIS about a year ago, the group has not disappeared from the country. In fact, it actually seems to be experiencing a resurgence in the northern parts of Iraq, where militants are carrying out assassinations, plundering villages and planting explosives
ISIS fighters have been fleeing from Syria into Iraq, perhaps with millions of dollars in tow
US military officials believe that in the last half year, over 1,000 ISIS fighters including former members of al Qaeda in Iraq have fled from Syria into neighboring Iraq. The fighters could have taken along up to $200 million in cash. While the officials are convinced that the physical caliphate of
ISIS could reclaim territory in months without military pressure, warns Pentagon in draft report
In spite of regular statements from the Trump administration regarding “victory” over ISIS, a draft report from the Pentagon indicates that without continued efforts, the terrorist organization could begin to expand its territory within 6-12 months. Coalition forces have retaken nearly 100% of the land previously occupied by ISIS, with
Study: ISIS Decline Sees Global Terror Attacks Down 33 Percent in 2018
The Global Attack Index released annually by Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Center since 2009 has measured a 33% decline in terror attacks in 2018 compared to 2017. This decline in numbers can be misleading, however, as it is mostly due to the destruction of ISIS strongholds across Syria and Iraq.
Iraqi scientist describes his work in ISIS’s chemical weapons program
One of the few captured alive, an Iraqi scientists who was arrested in 2016 by U.S. and Kurdish soldiers has described his position within the ISIS research machine working to produce chemical weapons. According to his statements, he was part of the group’s successful efforts to produce sulfur mustard, used
Army’s long-awaited Iraq war study: Iran was the only winner in conflict that holds lessons for future wars
The U.S. Army has finally released its massive publication examining its operations, successes, and failures in Iraq since 2003. The study, which includes over 1,000 declassified documents, was finished in 2016 but its publication was delayed until now, some saying for reasons of preventing premature disclosure of sensitive political information.
Kurdish forces: Two American ISIS fighters captured in Syria
“Kurdish-led forces battling Islamic State militants in Syria say they captured five foreign fighters, including an American who once sought to become an English teacher in the jihadi group’s Iraqi capital. The American, a Texan named Warren Christopher Clark, 34, was one of two reputed U.S. citizens captured in a