The United States is rejecting demands from the Iraqi government to remove troops from the region. On Friday, a spokesperson for the State Department highlighted the crucial mission American forces have in Iraq, including their continued fight against ISIS.
Alleged Islamic militants attacked an army outpost in the West African nation of Niger amid sectarian tensions in that country. On Thursday, the Nigerian military confirmed suspected Islamists staged an attack in the northern part of the country, which killed at least 25 soldiers and wounded several others.
NATO has suspended its training mission in Iraq following a U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. On Saturday, officials said the training mission, which was aimed at teaching Iraqi forces how to prevent the Islamic State from regaining strength, has been temporarily halted.
On Sunday, Iraqi officials announced they’ve started a military operation against remaining pockets of Islamic State group fighters. The operation is being conducted by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command and will target areas in Mosul and along the Syrian border.
The Clarion Project, a human rights organization, is seeking to bring awareness on the threat of extremism. One America’s Stephanie Myers caught up with Christianne Bodreau to discuss an initiative to prevent incidents of violent extremism from happening.