Islamic State
Talking of Terror
While the world’s media have retreated from using the word "terrorism," governments have applied it ever more broadly, with vast implications for law and society. How does this simultaneous avoidance and expansion of the use of the word affect how we understand and address the phenomenon of violence committed in the name of an ideal?
Uncleared Caches
When the Islamic State sensed its imminent demise, it ordered regional commanders to bury cash and gold in underground locations, including at least three “central” burial sites, camouflaged and designed to safeguard against humidity and dust, an exclusive joint investigation shows.
Inside the End of Kurdish Self-Rule in Syria
A deal between Damascus and the Syrian Democratic Forces that will end Kurdish self-rule in northeastern Syria is moving forward. But mistrust runs deep, and many SDF fighters reject integration, while civilians, worn down by war, hope for stability but fear what unification could bring.
In Syria’s Desert, the Islamic State’s Shadow Persists
In its former Syrian stronghold of Palmyra, an Islamic State group attack underscored the diffuse — and largely unseen — threat the group continues to pose. “They exist, but they don’t exist,” said one resident. “You don’t see them.”
In Syria’s Desert, Palmyra Fights for Its Life
In Palmyra, residents returning after years of war face a scorched oasis, broken infrastructure and dwindling hope. The city’s revival hinges on water, tourism and aid — of which it has seen little.
Trump’s Unlikely Jihadist Cheerleaders
According to analysis of recent online discussions, jihadists are generally positive about Donald Trump’s foreign policy, whether because they see him as an honest international actor, because of his support for conservative values, or because they think he is hastening the decline of the West or other enemies.
In Mosul, There’s a New War Against Mines
More than four years on, the Islamic State group has been forced from Mosul and no longer occupies towns or cities anywhere in Iraq or Syria. But its brutal legacy remains, under mounds of rubble, in ruined homes and fields.