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Washington Post
Liz Sly is the Beirut Bureau Chief and former Baghdad Bureau Chief, for the Washington Post. She is a former Baghdad correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.
PROFILE
Liz Sly
Guest
FROM Liz Sly
To the Point
US backed militias defeat ISIS in its Syrian capital of Raqqa With the backing of American power, Kurdish and Arab forces may have destroyed the city of Raqqa -- in order to save it. They claim that ISIS has been dislodged from what used to be called its "capital city." Liz Sly, who covers Syria, Iraq and Lebanon for the Washington Post , has more on the players and their roles.
To the Point
Ceasefire announced for Aleppo A glimmer of hope for thousands of lives in Aleppo. Damage in Christian quarter of Aelppo in Syria Photo: © Aid to the Church in Need Syrian forces were poised for a final sweep of eastern Aleppo, provoking urgent appeals from the UN, world leaders and aid agencies. Now Syrian rebels say an agreement's been reached with Russia for a ceasefire to allow evacuations. Liz Sly, Beirut Bureau Chief for the Washington Post , has more on the evacuation deal reached for last rebel zones in Syria’s ravaged Aleppo.
To the Point
The Mosul offensive begins In Iraq, a long-awaited offensive has begun—to take back the northern city of Mosul from the4 Islamic State. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has called on residents to cooperate with advancing forces… but a million civilians trapped in the city may be in for a long siege.
To the Point
Syria's fragile ceasefire In Geneva today, Secretary of State John Kerry discussed the latest agreement with Russia for a ceasefire in Syria. "There are consequences to bad behavior here. In addition, if the Assad regime later on decides to break this, then that's our last shot. There will be, you know, other alternatives available to other countries and ourselves and those will have to be determined in the future." Liz Sly is monitoring the action from Beirut, Lebanon for the Washington Post .
To the Point
Iraqi Forces with US Help Attempt to Retake Fallujah from ISIS Some 50,000 civilians are said to be trapped in the Iraqi city of Fallujah after this week's launch of a major assault to re-take the city from ISIS. Shiite militia are fighting alongside Iraqi soldiers, and the US is conducting bombing raids — while keeping its distance from what's happening on the ground. Liz Sly, Middle East correspondent for the Washington Post , has an update.
To the Point
Syrian Cease Fire Agreed to, but Skepticism Remains When is a peace agreement not a peace agreement? That’s the question today after the US, Russia and other parties called for a “temporary cessation” of hostilities in Syria’s ongoing civil war. Liz Sly is Beirut Bureau Chief for the Washington Post . She joins us from Southern Turkey, near the Syrian border.
To the Point
Is Saudi Arabia Serious about Declaring War against Terror? Saudi Arabia says it's formed a coalition of 34 Muslim nations against ISIS, other terrorist groups and their "violent ideology." The US was surprised, but calls the announcement "welcome." Pakistan, one of 34 nations named as a partner, says it wasn't even consulted. Iran, Syria and Iraq weren't included at all, raising questions about the divide between Sunnis and Shiites. Is Saudi Arabia just responding to Western critics, diverting attention from warfare in Yemen or making a real bid for leadership in collective security?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How One Photo Has Become a Symbol of the Migrant and Refugee Crisis The photo of a young boy, drowned and washed ashore on a Turkish beach, has captured the world's attention. It's one of many such pictures — but this photo has become a striking emblem of the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe and the Middle East. And the photograph has revived an old debate about the use of graphic images in the media.
To the Point
Turkey Launches Airstrikes against ISIS Targets in Syria Early this morning Turkish fighter jets struck several command centers for the Islamic State in nearby Syria. It's Turkey's first direct engagement in the fight against ISIS, after years of resistance despite criticism from its NATO allies. In another diplomatic change, Turkey has also given permission for US warplanes to use two Turkish bases to target ISIS in Syria, as we hear from Liz Sly, Beirut bureau chief for the Washington Post .
To the Point
Curfew Lifts and Baghdad Is Partying Again Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has lifted the nighttime curfew in the city of Baghdad, imposed by the US military 12 years ago. "Baghdad feels different." Bars, nightclubs and beauty salons have reopened, and the streets are full of people. That's according to Liz Sly, Beirut Bureau Chief for the Washington Post , who's back in Iraq to cover what she calls a "surprising revival" of the normal life so violently disrupted more than a decade ago.
To the Point
The Islamic State Is Making Advances Despite Air Strikes Airstrikes by the US and other countries have not yet slowed advances by the so-called Islamic State–ISIS or ISIL. One place threatened by the brutal extremists is Kobane, a Kurdish town in Syria near the border with Turkey. We’ll hear reports and analysis of how the warfare is going.
To the Point
The Islamic State Has Oil and Momentum… How Far Will It Go? The Islamic State controls so much of Iraq and Syria it’s able to finance its self-styled “caliphate” by selling oil. It’s a real threat to Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad—complicating US efforts to help so-called “moderates.” What is the Islamic State? Does it pose a threat beyond Syria and its civil war? After 3 years, 170,000 casualties and 9 million refugees, Syria’s civil war has become bloodier than ever. Last week, 700 died in one battle between the government of Bashar al-Assad and the Islamic State. The object was control of a natural gas field near Homs.
To the Point
A Confident Assad Sworn in for Another 7 Years as Syria’s President President Obama once said Syria’s President Bashar al Assad would “have to go,” but today he was sworn in again in Damascus for a third 7-year term. Despite three years of civil war with a death toll of 170,000, his inaugural speech on state television sounded more confident than ever. Liz Sly is Bureau Chief in Beirut, Lebanon for the Washington Post.
To the Point
Insurgent Fighters Claim One of Iraq's Largest Cities Since the US withdrew from Iraq, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has made mostly unchecked advances. Even al Qaeda has criticized it for "extreme methods." Today, it reportedly has seized control of part of Mosul, one of Iraq's major cities. Liz Sly is the Washington Post 's bureau chief in Beirut, where she's coordinating coverage.
To the Point
Al Qaeda Dumps Its Syria Affiliate Since 911, al Qaeda has been synonymous with brutal terrorism in the interests of establishing an Islamic caliphate throughout the Muslim world. Today, its current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has dissociated al Qaeda from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which he calls too extreme. Liz Sly is Beirut Bureau Chief for the Washington Post .
To the Point
Twelve Years after 9-11, How Big a Threat Is al Qaeda? Should we be afraid of al Qaeda? Officials in Yemen say they thwarted a plan by al Qaeda to seize a major port and kidnap or kill workers there. It's not clear how real that threat was. But the news came days after the US and Britain closed embassies across the Middle East and North Africa, fearing a terrorist attack. Meanwhile, hundreds of prisoners, including al Qaeda operatives, have escaped from prisons in Iraq, Libya and Pakistan. How have power vacuums in places like Iraq, Syria and Yemen created openings for al Qaeda to grow? Two years after the killing of Osama Bin Laden, how powerful is al Qaeda?
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To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
To the Point
Janesville and the American Dream Janesville, Wisconsin is the hometown of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. But he couldn’t prevent the closing of the General Motors factory after 100 years. On this Memorial Day rebroadcast of To the Point, we hear what’s happened to what once was a model of American middle-class unity.
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.