Analysis 'Is it worth it?' Syria's Sharaa faces backlash over Missy Elliott performance Backlash erupts after dancers perform to Missy Elliott’s “Work It,” exposing the tightrope between Sharaa’s outreach to the West and pressure from his Islamist base. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Analysis Is Syria’s Sharaa poised to outdo Turkey in formalizing gains for Kurds? Damascus is making limited but tangible progress in its engagement with Syrian Kurds, even as Ankara seeks to shape the terms of any settlement. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US troops depart Syria, ending decade of presence in fight against ISIS The last major American bases in Syria have been turned over to the government in Damascus, US military officials confirmed to Al-Monitor. Syria
Turkey detains 11 over ISIS-linked attack on Israeli Consulate: What to know The attack was likely designed to portray Turkey as protecting Israel by targeting the local police guarding the consulate, one observer notes. Turkey
Exclusive Syrian Kurdish officials say 66 Turkish ISIS fighters transferred for relocation to Iraq By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
US captures Islamic State official in Syria as fighting renews among allies The US military said it captured a senior IS official in Syria on Saturday, as renewed fighting Monday between Kurdish-led forces and Arab tribes in Deir Ezzor raised new questions as to the open-ended nature of the US mission. Syria
Libya captures Islamic State leader behind 2018 capital bombing The Islamic State has exploited the chaos in Libya to extend its influence. North Africa
Russian airstrikes target Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria The al-Qaeda offshoot is focused on defending its territory from Russian-backed Syrian government forces, but it has also clashed with the Islamic State recently. Syria
Iraq's war-battered cities grapple with rising resistance to antibiotics Six years after the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State, the city battles a silent enemy: abnormally high rates of multidrug-resistant infections. It's a phenomenon fueled by decades of war that poses a massive threat to global health. Iraq
Iran claims Israel behind shrine attack, pledges revenge The shooting renewed debates on Iran's intelligence failures in thwarting deadly attacks in contrast to the official assertion that the country is an "island of stability" in a volatile Middle East. Iran
Islamic State attack kills 26 Syrian soldiers, third in 2 weeks The deadly attack, the group’s third this month, follows the death of another one of its leaders. Syria
US, Iraq defense chiefs discuss post-Islamic State strategy Congress has long sought answers as to how the Pentagon plans to prepare Iraq’s military forces to stand on their own after the defeat of the Islamic State. This week, the Biden administration took a first step. Iraq
Islamic State attack in Raqqa kills 10 Syrian soldiers, second in a week IS militants attacked several positions and checkpoints of the Syrian government and allied fighters in the group’s former stronghold of Raqqa. Syria
Culture Iraq's Mosul rises from Islamic State ashes to rebuild minarets, museum As Mosul makes a slow revival from the remnants of war, a host of challenges remain, including corrupt officials and institutional weaknesses in Iraq. Iraq
Blinken urges coalition partners to repatriate Islamic State fighters in Syria At a gathering in Riyadh of the global alliance to defeat IS, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked partners to repatriate their detained citizens and announced new funding for stabilization work in Iraq and Syria. Syria
Syrian girls play soccer among ghosts of Islamic State Raqqa's first-ever girls' soccer team is blooming where Islamic State once terrorized the society. Syria
Islamic State women use children as 'sex tools,' Syrian Kurdish officials say Officials in northeast Syria tell Al-Monitor that women in Islamic State internment camps are forcing young boys to impregnate women as part of an alleged IS campaign to "go forth and multiply." Syria
