Syria’s Sharaa leaves Washington with warm assurances but no security agreements Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa departed Washington without clinching major security agreements or long-term economic relief. Syria
Syria's Sharaa says no direct talks with Israel, open to US military presence In an interview on Monday, President Ahmed al-Sharaa dismissed direct negotiations with Israel concerning the Abraham Accords, but left the door open to US-brokered diplomacy. Syria
Syrian President Sharaa arrives at White House in historic first Sharaa met with Trump as the administration weighs easing sanctions and expanding cooperation on Syria. Syria
Exclusive SDF commander Hemo: Syria’s Kurds prepare for threat of war as Damascus talks falter As US-brokered talks stall, Kurdish forces are preparing contingencies while continuing dialogue with Damascus to secure Syria’s future, SDF commander Sipan Hemo told Al-Monitor in an exclusive interview. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Trial begins for 20 linked to Islamic State terror attacks in Paris The main defendant in the case, Salah Abdeslam, told the court on Wednesday that he was a "soldier" of the Islamic State. News Brief
Islamic State 'Beatles' member pleads guilty in US hostage-taking case British-born Alexanda Kotey was part of an Islamic State cell that the US government has linked to the hostage-taking and deaths of Americans James Foley, Steven Sotloff, Peter Kassig and Kayla Mueller. United States
Member of IS 'Beatles' expected to plead guilty in US courtroom Alexanda Kotey, a member of the brutal Islamic State cell linked to the kidnapping and killing of Westerners, is expected to plead guilty to one or more of the charges against him. United States
Pentagon defends Kabul drone strike as ‘righteous’ The rules of engagement were followed in the lead-up to a strike that killed 10 people, including children, the top general says. Qatar
Turkey won't accept 'refugee burden' from Afghanistan Turkey, which already hosts more than 300,000 Afghans, has warned it doesn't have the resources to accept additional migrants from the war-torn country. Turkey
Macron visits Erbil and Mosul, vows to stay the course against IS The French president visited the northern Iraqi city where an Islamic State ‘caliphate’ was declared in 2014, pledging to continue supporting Iraq in its fight against terrorism. Iraq
Turkey, Taliban hold talks in Kabul as airport security in doubt Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara hasn't decided whether to provide the Taliban with technical assistance at Kabul's international airport. Turkey
How many Americans are left in Afghanistan? As the United States facilitates the transfer of thousands of Afghanistan evacuees to Qatar and other US military installations, the State Department said Thursday that a majority of the remaining Americans have taken steps to leave. United States
Jihadi group in Syria’s Idlib faces criticism over unfair trials, death sentences Hayat Tahrir al-Sham issued death sentences against two young men who have been detained in the organization’s prisons on charges of collaborating with the US-led international coalition. Syria
Will the Taliban welcome al-Qaeda back to Afghanistan? Afghanistan's economy is hanging by a thread; Iran makes the best of the Taliban; the "resistance" finds inspiration; five must reads on Afghanistan. Iran
Islamic State suspects use Turkey’s remorse law to get off the hook Taking advantage of the Turkish judicial system and the political climate besieging it, Islamic State suspects often receive sentence reductions under repentance provisions, even if they feign regret. Turkey
New UN report on Islamic State gives Ankara another headache Security Council report red flags Uyghur diaspora in Turkey as a recruitment source for jihadi networks in Syria and Afghanistan. Turkey
