The Free Syrian Army has been outgunned in the country's multi-sided civil war. But they say they have fighting experience, and if the U.S. provides arms and training they could play a key role.
A memorial for journalist James Foley will be held Saturday, on what would have been his 41st birthday. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Rev. Marc Montminy, who is presiding over the service.
Militants from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, control about 80 percent of Iraq's Anbar Province. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey says ISIS could eventually shell Baghdad Airport.
Over the last few weeks, Islamic State fighters in Iraq have been on the offensive in Anbar province, just west of Baghdad. We look at the latest on efforts to drive back the extremists.
After more than two months of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and an expansion of that campaign to Syria, critics complain too little has been accomplished — and too little is being done.
Melissa Block talks with C.J. Chivers, foreign correspondent for The New York Times, about his in-depth reporting on abandoned chemical weapons in Iraq and their casualties.
President Obama met with allied defense chiefs to discuss the campaign against militants from the Islamic State. They've been gaining ground in Iraq and Syria, prompting questions about U.S. strategy.
The New York Times reports that between 2004 and 2011, American troops repeatedly encountered chemical weapons caches dating from the Iran-Iraq war. At least 17 U.S. service members were injured.
The Obama administration's strategy against ISIS is fraying, according to U.S. officials. The bombing strikes are too small and dispersed, leading to a charge that they are "Shock and Yawn," a play on the "Shock and Awe" bombing campaign of the Iraq War.