Middle East

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh last month. "We are returning to what we were before — a country of moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world," he said at the econo

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With Saudi Arrests, Crown Prince Shows He Can Force Change. But It's Not Democracy

4:24pm November 06, 2017

by Deborah Amos

The weekend's arrests don't mean Saudi Arabia is opening up to democracy. The rulers are unelected monarchs with a record of jailing critics and minorities. But the sweep of arrests marks a change.

American-backed forces took control of the Islamic State's de-facto capital of Raqqa, Syria, last month, dealing a major blow to the extremist organization.

Fall Of Raqqa Delivers Sharp Blow To Islamic State's Media Operation

1:51pm November 06, 2017

by Samantha Raphelson

ISIS suffered an unprecedented drop in media output since the fall of Raqqa, according to BBC Monitoring. The decline suggests the majority of its media operation was based in its de-facto capital.

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Saudi Arabia Arrests 11 Princes

8:06am November 05, 2017

Eleven princes were arrested in Saudi Arabia in what the kingdom calls a corruption sweep. Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with H.A. Hellyer of the Atlantic Council.

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King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud at the Grand Kremlin Palace last month, on a visit to Moscow, Russia.

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11 Saudi Princes Among Dozens Arrested In Apparent Move To Boost King's Son

10:58pm November 04, 2017

by Emma Bowman

A new anti-corruption body, formed by King Salman and headed by his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, ordered the arrests, in a move reportedly designed to consolidate the crown prince's power.

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, center, in October arriving for a mass funeral of 10 Lebanese soldiers at the Lebanese Defense Ministry.

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Lebanon's Prime Minister Resigns, Fears Plot On His Life

5:13pm November 04, 2017

by Chris Benderev

Saad Hariri made the announcement Saturday in a televised address from Saudi Arabia. Hariri's father, a former prime minister, was assassinated in 2005.

Authorities stand near a damaged truck after an attacker drove onto a bike path in New York City, striking and killing eight people Tuesday. The Islamic State has been calling on supporters to use vehicles to carry out attacks for the past year.

As ISIS Promotes Vehicle Attacks, Terrorists Strike In Europe And U.S.

1:26pm November 01, 2017

by Greg Myre

The Islamic State began urging supporters to carry out vehicle attacks last year. Europe, where weapons are harder to obtain, has suffered multiple attacks. Now New York has been hit.

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For Libyans, Benghazi Is A City That Has Come Under Brutal And Chaotic Rule

8:32am October 31, 2017

by Ruth Sherlock

Thirty-six bodies, some handcuffed, some showing signs of torture, some shot in the head, were found in an open pit near the Libyan city of Benghazi. It was the largest such discovery since the country's civil war.

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Aid Groups Work To Help Syria's Displaced People

4:58pm October 30, 2017

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with CARE Country Director Wouter Schaap. The humanitarian organization is ramping up its efforts in Syria where thousands have been displaced by ISIS' presence, the country's civil war and other fighting.

A portrait of Kurdish President Massud Barzani looks out over Alqosh, Iraq.

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Kurdish President Barzani To Step Down Amid Fallout From Independence Vote

3:40pm October 29, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Since Iraq's Kurdish region voted to secede last month, Kurds have reeled from territorial losses. Now, their president and longtime leader, Masoud Barzani, has declared he'll step down Wednesday.

United Nations special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura is seen on a video screen as he listens to a Security council meeting on Syria at U.N. headquarters in June about the possible use of sarin gas in an attack that killed more than 90 people.

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U.N. Watchdog: Syrian Government Responsible For April Sarin Gas Attack

5:57am October 27, 2017

by Scott Neuman

The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons confirmed in June that the agent used in the attack was sarin. On Thursday, the OPCW said it was sure that the Syrian regime carried it out.