Syria

President Trump said on Sunday morning that capturing or killing Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has been "the top national security priority" of his administration. Above, Trump speaks in the Diplomatic Room of the White House on Sunday.

Trump Says Islamic State Leader Was Killed In Special Operations Raid

James Doubek

The president said the U.S. had been searching for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi for years. Capturing or killing Baghdadi has been "the top national security priority" of the administration, Trump said Sunday.

Politics

Colorado Politicians React To Syrian Airstrikes

Colorado's congressional delegation hasn't been silent on the Syrian airstrikes conducted by a U.S.-led coalition Friday night. The strikes drew criticism鈥�

Politics

Hickenlooper: Colo. Won't Say No To Syrian Refugees, But Verification Must Be 'Stringent'

Bente Birkeland

Gov. John Hickenlooper announced Monday that Colorado would accept Syrian refugees. President Barack Obama said the U.S. would receive at least 10,000鈥�

The satellite images provided by #withSyria shows the dramatic drop in lights at night in Syria between 2011 (left) and 2015 (right) with annotations by NPR.

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Drawn-Out Syrian Civil War Spawns A Literal Dark Age

Michele Kelemen

Once, Syria was a modern nation. Today, after five years of brutal conflict, 83 percent of the country's lights are out and life expectancies are 20 years shorter.

Free Syrian Army fighters sit in a house on the outskirts of Aleppo, Syria, in June 2012. The U.S. is planning to train and arm the rebels, who have been outgunned on the battlefield.

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Syria's 'Moderate Rebels' Say They Are Willing, But Need Weapons

Peter Kenyon

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 soldier guards a pipe en route to the Kawergosk Refinery near Irbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, in July. Fighting in northern Iraq forced the closure of the country's largest oil refinery, Baiji, and cut production from the Kirkuk oil field this summer.

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With Turmoil Roiling Abroad, Why Aren't Oil Prices Bubbling Up?

John Ydstie

Conflict in oil-producing regions usually sends oil prices higher. But the cost of oil has actually dropped, despite turmoil in the Middle East. Economists say it's a matter of supply and demand.

National

VIDEO & TRANSCRIPT: President Obama's Address On A Response To ISIS

In a national address, Wednesday, September 10, President Obama outlined his administrations response to "degrade, and ultimately destroy"鈥�

This image obtained by NPR shows Ahmed al-Moflihi, a Yemeni-American who is believed to have fought in the Syrian civil war.

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Brooklyn Man Fights In Syria. Is He A Threat To The U.S.?

Dina Temple-Raston

Yemeni-American Ahmed al-Moflihi likely fought alongside a rebel group with ties to the U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army. But officials are investigating anyway: Fight in Syria, and you raise a red flag.

American Eric Harroun threatened Bashar Assad on Facebook and YouTube. He spent six weeks fighting with a rebel army, a journey that did not end well for him.

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U.S. Officials Try To Gauge Threat From American Fighters In Syria

Dina Temple-Raston

Dozens of Americans have gone to Syria to fight against the government, some with groups the U.S. considers terrorists. U.S. officials have to sort out which could be dangerous when they return.

During a speech at the American Legion's National Convention on Tuesday, President Obama again called the extremist group the Islamic State a "cancer."

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Obama Considers Widening Strikes Against Islamic State Militants

Mara Liasson

The president has approved surveillance flights over Syria to search for targets for possible airstrikes. But critics of the administration say that may not be enough.