Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Syria Joins Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State

Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa announced on Monday that his country signed a “political cooperation declaration” with the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, becoming a “partner in combating terrorism and supporting regional stability.”

DAMASCUS, SYRIA - JULY 28: Syrian Minister of Information, Hamza al-Mustafa speaks to AA i

Assad: Trump Is ‘Best U.S. President’ Because He Is ‘Transparent’ About Wanting Oil

Syrian President Bashar Assad gave an interview to Syria’s state-run SANA news service on Thursday in which he offered Donald Trump backhanded praise for being “transparent” about U.S. interests in Syrian oil, unlike his predecessors. Assad also questioned the U.S. narrative about the demise of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and suggested his death had been faked.

Western leaders now say Syrian president Bashar al-Assad must be involved in peace talks.

Islamic State Names Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi as Leader

The Islamic State finally acknowledged the death of former “commander of the faithful” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Thursday and announced his successor, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi, who was given the additional surname “al-Qurashi” to highlight his purported connection to the tribe of Mohammed.

islamic state fighters