p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 17.0px} p.p3 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 14.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p4 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; font: 14.0px Helvetica; -webkit-text-stroke: #ee230d} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} span.s2 {font: 16.0px Helvetica; font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #ff2600} span.s3 {font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; font-kerning: none} span.s4 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #042eee} span.s5 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #0433ff; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #0433ff} span.s6 {font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #ee230d} span.s7 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #042eee; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #ee230d} span.s8 {font-kerning: none; color: #ff2600; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #ff2600} span.s9 {text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none; color: #042eee; -webkit-text-stroke: 0px #0433ff} As the Islamic State weakens in Iraq and Syria, the forces fighting the group are eyeing each other more critically. The United States and Iran are vying for influence in Iraq, and accusations are flying.
In the battle to control the Iraqi-Syrian border, the Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades, an armed faction of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) came under attack Aug. 7. In a strongly worded statement the same day, the group accused US forces of attacking their positions in western Iraq and vowed to avenge the casualties.