Iraq

World News

Lower Oil Prices Hurt Iraq's Fight Against ISIS

7:37am March 12, 2015

Renee Montagne talks to Ben Van Heuvelen, managing editor of Iraq Oil Report, about how falling oil prices are affecting Iraq's fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State, also known as ISIS.

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Iraq's push into Tikrit follows its retaking of the nearby town of al-Alam on Tuesday. There, a woman welcomed a relative who is fighting with a militia that's backing Iraqi troops.

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Iraqi Forces Reportedly Enter Tikrit In Push Against ISIS

7:07pm March 11, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Officials and witnesses say an Iraqi force now controls part of northern Tikrit, the city that was taken last June by the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

9 Iraqi Interpreters Sue U.S. Government Over Visa Delays

6:38pm March 11, 2015

by Quil Lawrence

Thousands of Iraqis and Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. through a special visa program, but hundreds of cases are on hold.

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Dura Europos, a Roman walled city in eastern Syria, dates back to 330 B.C. The main gate is shown here in a photo from 2010. It's one of the many important archaeological sites militants of the self-styled Islamic State have ransacked and damaged.

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Via Satellite, Tracking The Plunder Of Middle East Cultural History

9:50am March 11, 2015

by Deborah Amos

ISIS militants now control the long-running black market in stolen artifacts. Experts are tracking damage to heritage sites in Iraq and Syria by satellite and doing what little they can to stop it.

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Iraq Archaeologist Asks U.S. To Help Protect Antiquities

5:07pm March 10, 2015

ISIS has been destroying Iraq's historic artifacts. Iraqi archaeologist Abdulamir al-Hamdani has asked the White House to help in protecting his country's heritage. He speaks with NPR's Melissa Block.

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Islamic State Fighters Hold Tikrit As Military Assault Enters Second Week

8:07pm March 09, 2015

by Tom Bowman

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff, was in Baghdad as the Pentagon backed away from plans to take the city of Mosul, Iraq, from Islamic State militants.

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Boko Haram Reportedly Swears Allegiance To The Islamic State

2:14pm March 08, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The message purporting to be from the Nigerian extremist group was posted to Twitter pledging to follow the Caliph and to obey ISIS "in times of difficulty and prosperity."

A Shiite fighter sits on a military vehicle in the town of Hamrin in Salahuddin province on Thursday.

Thousands Reportedly Flee Battle In Tikrit

4:49pm March 05, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Iraqi army forces, Shiite militias and Kurdish peshmerga are battling to retake Saddam Hussein's hometown from Islamic State extremists.

Iraqi security forces and Shiite fighters fire artillery during clashes with ISIS militants in Salahuddin province. The push to retake Tikrit is being aided by Iran, which is providing rockets and other support to Iraq.

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With Iran's Help, Iraqi Force Pushes Toward ISIS-Held Tikrit

6:31pm March 03, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A local source says that Iran, which has already been aiding Iraq with artillery and intelligence support, has sent fighters to help take the city of Tikrit.

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ISIS Destroys Objects That Record Region's History Of Cultural Diversity

3:07pm March 03, 2015

Video has surfaced of ISIS militants smashing ancient artifacts on display in the Mosul, Iraq, museum. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks to Axel Plathe, UNESCO's Iraq director, on the huge loss.

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