Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds? Damascus is making limited but tangible progress in its engagement with Syrian Kurds, even as Ankara seeks to shape the terms of any settlement. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US troops depart Syria, ending decade of presence in fight against ISIS The last major American bases in Syria have been turned over to the government in Damascus, US military officials confirmed to Al-Monitor. Syria
Turkey detains 11 over ISIS-linked attack on Israeli Consulate: What to know The attack was likely designed to portray Turkey as protecting Israel by targeting the local police guarding the consulate, one observer notes. Turkey
Exclusive Syrian Kurdish officials say 66 Turkish ISIS fighters transferred for relocation to Iraq By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Syria, Iraq discuss boosting trade The two countries also discussed cooperation on oil imports earlier this year. News Brief
Pentagon: Four Islamic State fighters killed in nighttime Syria raid Conflicting accounts of the raid emerged amid renewed scrutiny of the Pentagon's oversight of civilian casualties in Syria. Syria
Sinai tribes hunt Islamic State bomb makers Sinai tribes join the hunt for IS explosives engineers, potentially depriving the terrorist group of its last technique in its fight against the Egyptian army. Egypt
Jihadis from Syria blamed for multiple attacks on Iraqi Kurds An onslaught of attacks on Kurdish peshmerga forces and villages in northern Iraq has sparked concerns over the presence of Islamic State cells and whether they have been bulked up by jihadis arriving from Syria. Iraq
Iraqi prime minister visits site of Islamic State attack Mustafa al-Kadhimi met with Kurdistan Region security forces in disputed Makhmour. News Brief
Turkey strikes Yazidi militia in Iraq The Sinjar Resistance Units is a member of the Popular Mobilization Units, making it officially part of the Iraqi security forces. Iraq
Islamic State targets peshmerga in Iraq’s disputed Diyala and Makhmour A recent string of attacks on Iraq’s Kurdistan Region peshmerga forces have raised concern over how effective long-discussed coordination with the central government is in the country’s flashpoint disputed territories. Iraq
Islamic State down but not out in Syria and Iraq: Pentagon report Also, Al-Monitor’s on-the-ground reporting on the security situations in Syria and Iraq, including the impact of the Turkish lira crisis on Idlib. Syria
Iraq diversifies arms imports after US withdrawal from Afghanistan The US withdrawal may have spurred Iraq to consider purchases from Turkey and Pakistan, according to report by the Pentagon's Inspector General. News Brief
Intel: Pentagon chief briefed on 2019 Syria airstrike US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the briefing after reading an investigation into the strike by The New York Times. Syria
Attack on Syrian prison holding Iraqi Islamic State captives raises concerns Local forces backed by coalition air support reportedly prevented an attack on a prison housing thousands of Islamic State operatives in northeastern Syria under Kurdish-led administration. Iraq
Islamic State attack sparks sectarian bloodletting in Iraq’s Diyala An Islamic State attack has triggered a crescendo of acts of violence against and displacement of Sunnis in Iraq’s Diyala province, which borders Iran and has long suffered the presence of cells operating in its dense orchards and parts of the Hamrin Mountains. Iraq
