Despite US-led campaign, Islamic State rakes in oil earnings
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA The Islamic State rakes in up to $50 million a month from selling crude from oilfields under its control in Iraq and Syria, part…
HAMZA HENDAWI
IS top command dominated by ex-officers in Saddam’s army
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA While attending the Iraqi army’s artillery school nearly 20 years ago, Ali Omran remembers one major well. An Islamic hard-liner, he once chided Omran…
An IS secret to success: Shock troops who fight to the death
By HAMZA HENDAWI, QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA and BASSEM MROUE They are the Islamic State group’s elite shock troops. Fanatical and disciplined, they infiltrate cities of Iraq and Syria, unleash mayhem and…
Egypt postpones retrial of 2 Al-Jazeera English journalists
By HAMZA HENDAWI The retrial of two Al-Jazeera English journalists who face terror-related charges in a case widely criticized by human rights organizations and media groups has been postponed to…
Iran eclipses US as Iraq’s ally in fight against militants
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA In the eyes of most Iraqis, their country’s best ally in the war against the Islamic State group is not the United States and…