Jane Arraf

Militant Islamist fighters hold the flag of Islamic State (IS) while taking part in a military parade along the streets of northern Raqqa province in this June 30, 2014 file photo.

In Iraq, the battle against ISIS rages — in Syria there is little resistance

Conflict

In the Syrian city of Raqqa, residents have come to accept life under ISIS. In Iraq, the battle is raging to wrest Tikrit from ISIS control.

Vehicles are seen on a street in Baghdad as the Iraqi government lifted a night-time curfew.  Officials hope to demonstrate that Baghdad no longer faces a threat from Islamic State.

Baghdad residents can stay out late and go big on Valentine’s Day

Lifestyle
The view across the Kawar Gosk refugee camp for Syrian refugees in Northern Iraq.

Refugees who have escaped ISIS will soon have to battle winter weather

Conflict
A Kurdish peshmerga fighter holds a rocket-propelled grenade launcher as he takes up position in an area overlooking a village controlled by the Islamic State near Mosul, Iraq.

Iraqis welcome further US airstrikes, but worry they’ll get more than they asked for

Conflict
People with portraits of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rally in support of him in Baghdad on August 11, 2014.

The fight against ISIS takes a back seat to squabbles in Baghdad

Conflict
Displaced families from the minority Yazidi sect flee violence in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar. Iraq's Prime Minister, Nuri al-Malik, ordered his air force for the first time to back Kurdish forces against Islamic State fighters after the Sunni milit

The battle against ISIS leads to odd alliances in Iraq

Conflict

Iraq’s prime minister is putting aside his differences with Kurdish forces in the north of Iraq as both groups fight militants from ISIS. The United States is also finding an unusual ally in Iran as both countries try to shore up the government in Baghdad.

Displaced families from the minority Yazidi sect flee violence in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar. Iraq's Prime Minister, Nuri al-Malik, ordered his air force for the first time to back Kurdish forces against Islamic State fighters after the Sunni milit

The battle against ISIS leads to odd alliances in Iraq

Conflict

Iraq’s prime minister is putting aside his differences with Kurdish forces in the north of Iraq as both groups fight militants from ISIS. The United States is also finding an unusual ally in Iran as both countries try to shore up the government in Baghdad.

Families fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Mosul arrive at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Arbil.

Why some residents of Mosul see a silver lining in the jihadi takeover

Conflict & Justice

Fear has rippled across Iraq since jihadist militias overran Mosul — Iraq’s second city — on Tuesday. But correspondent Jane Arraf has talked with some Mosul residents who say the extremists have brought clean streets and running water.

Families fleeing the violence in the Iraqi city of Mosul arrive at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Arbil.

Why some residents of Mosul see a silver lining in the jihadi takeover

Conflict & Justice

Fear has rippled across Iraq since jihadist militias overran Mosul — Iraq’s second city — on Tuesday. But correspondent Jane Arraf has talked with some Mosul residents who say the extremists have brought clean streets and running water.

A woman in Baghdad shows her ink-stained finger after voting.

The purple finger remains a hopeful symbol in Iraq, as Iraqis go to the polls

Global Politics

Iraqis voted Wednesday in parliamentary elections. Voters held up fingers dipped in purple ink to show they had voted, as they did in previous elections in Iraq. The purple finger remains a symbol of hope. Iraqis voted Wednesday in parliamentary elections. Voters held up fingers dipped in purple ink to show they had voted, as they did in previous elections in Iraq. The purple finger remains a symbol of hope.