The Islamic State burst onto the world stage in 2014, capturing vast stretches of Iraq and Syria, brutally and publicly killing Western prisoners, and declaring itself a new pan-Islamic caliphate. President Obama announced an American effort to roll back and eventual defeat the Islamic State, and enlisted an international coalition of Arab and Western powers to accomplish that goal. This effort has, in turn, raised a host of new questions: about effectiveness and commitment, about international law, about presidential authority, about the interpretive limits of an out-of-date domestic authorization for the use of force, and about the general viability of American policy in the region.
Latest in Islamic State
What are the international law obligations for the SDF and its allies to maintain conditions in prisons housing alleged Islamic State fighters?
I interviewed foreign Islamic State women to hear their opinions on a host of issues.
What’s in the decision ruling that Canada’s intelligence service failed to disclose that information in national security warrant applications was likely illegally obtained?
Accused Islamic State members in Iraq face trials with minimal due process guardrails. A survey I conducted among various stakeholders indicates that the Iraqi system isn't working.
A new report recommends that European courts should charge alleged Islamic State fighters with “core international crimes,” such as crimes against humanity or war crimes.
The U.S. extradites a Canadian citizen on terror charges, Canada debates its relationship to China and other Canadian national security news.
The French foreign minister has made a trip to Iraq to attempt to make a deal to try foreign fighters in the country. The plan faces diplomatic obstacles abroad and opposition at home.
The reported killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi during a Special Operations Forces raid is an important milestone in the war against the Islamic State—and, more generally, in the struggle against terrorism. President Trump, who announced al-Baghdadi’s death in remarks on Oct.
On Oct. 27, President Trump announced the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a U.S. raid. Video of the announcement is available below.
President Trump’s sudden announcement that the U.S. would withdraw forces from along the Syria-Turkey border has already had dramatic consequences.