The US air strikes in Syria risk sparking a backlash, and might drive more civilians into the ranks of extremist groups, warn journalists in opposition-held territory in Aleppo and Kafranbel.
While a lot of news out of Syria is mainly about death and destruction, one writer found a more positive story on his trip there. He spent a week shadowing a team of first responders who have made it their mission to stay and save lives.
Last week, a group of activists, civil rights workers and military leaders were killed by Islamic militants — Tawfik Bensaud, a teenage peace activist, was among them. While politically-motivated killings are all too common in post-revolution Libya, the events of Benghazi's "Black Friday" are a new low.
Buzzfeed reporter Ellie Hall got a disturbing look at the online world of young women — often from the West — who claim to be members of the Islamic militant group known as ISIS. They go to the Middle East to be married, raise young Jihadists and spread propaganda on social networks.
ISIS knows media and messaging, from its black and white flag to its raised index finger gesture to its tweets. Now the group has a new propaganda wing that is producing sophisticated, effects-laden videos in styles from rock videos to action movies. Reporter Bruce Wallace shares some examples and what experts think ISIS is hoping to achieve.
American credibility is on the line as the US prepares to act against ISIS, but no one has more at stake than those who live in or have loved ones in the militant group's path. In the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, those people are eagerly awaiting President Obama's speech.
The Green Prince was the code name for a top Israeli informant, a man who was the son of a Hamas founder. It's also the name of a new documentary that chronicles the path of informant Mosab Hassan Yousef, and his relationship with his Israeli handler.
When Steven Sotloff's friends discovered he was being held captive by ISIS militants, they set out to hide any reference to the fact that he was Jewish and a dual American-Israeli citizen — and succeeded.
The debate between security and civil liberties continues to heat up in the UK. More than 500 British citizens have reportedly gone to fight in Syria and Iraq, and the government wants to increase measures to make sure they don't bring violence with them when they return home.
Pioneered by people like Eliot Higgins, new social media techniques are being used by journalists to track or "geolocate" terrorists as seen in their propaganda photos and videos. For reporters locked out of dangerous conflict zones, such methods are becoming important new ways to get the story.
More than half of all Iraqis are under the age of 20. But as most of the country is gripped by violence and instability, opportunities for young Iraqis are evaporating, and more and more are emigrating abroad. One group of friends say they’re determined to break that trend.
Among the many disturbing aspects of the execution of journalist James Foley is the fact that it was part of a deliberate PR campaign. Groups like ISIS rely on hundreds of tech-savvy foreign fighters from the West to disseminate their radical vision — often with success.
After surviving a siege and chemical weapons, Qusai Zakarya became an activist in his native Syria. Now in the US, he reflects on the death of "true martyr" James Foley, the American journalist who died at the hands of ISIS this week — and blasts the Obama administration for not acting in Syria.
In the midst of the ongoing and divisive war in Gaza, some Israelis have made their anti-war sentiments known. Sometimes, though, that's easier said than done. A left-leaning couple in Jerusalem shares their story of ostracization after vocalizing their anti-war opinions.
When you go to the hospital, you give up a lot of very personal data, not the least of which is your name, address and Social Security number. Recently, a group of Chinese hackers associated with their government's cyber espionage program branched out from their usual work and targeted a huge hospital system's patient database — and got away with a huge haul of personal data.
The man who executed American reporter James Foley spoke with a British accent, presumably one of hundreds of British nationals that authorities think are fighting alongside members of ISIS. So why are they there, and how can they be stopped?
This isn't the setup for a joke: Last week, after the death of Robin Williams, a US Army veteran and a supporter of Islamic militant group ISIS tweeted their regrets. Soon the pair were swapping recollections of their favorite Williams movies and other pop culture trivia.
Mohamed was important in Libyan's revolution, helping to defeat and ultimately capture Muammar Gaddafi. His younger brother missed out on Libya's revolution — so he decided to make his own fame by going to Syria to fight in the violent revolution there.
Expectations are pretty low for this week's Syria peace talks in Geneva. It will the first time that government and opposition representatives actually meet since the civil war began almost three years ago. But a third major player in the conflict will be missing: the Al-Qaeda-affiliated rebel group that controls much of north-east Syria. Most of its fighters are foreign. Here's the story of one Syrian man who has been forced into exile by the very men he once helped bring into his country.
