Jane Arraf

The U.S. military is clarifying its mission in Syria after President Trump's on-again, off-again vows to pull them out. For now they're guarding oil fields but there's renewed violence in the region.

A look at the U.S. military still in Syria shows what it's doing after weeks of uncertainty over the mission. The uncertainty continues and so does the ISIS violence.

Iraqi security forces are cracking down on protesters amid continued anti-government protests.

Protests continue in Baghdad with government promises doing little to quell the dissatisfaction of hundreds of thousands taking to the streets.

Much of the protesters' anger is directed at Iran and at corrupt Iraqi politicians. "Parliament is just mafias and corrupt parties — all of them came to destroy this country," says one protester.

The view from atop a building taken over by protesters in Baghdad shows a sea of people with aspirations for a broad change in the country's political system.

Past protests in Iraq have featured older supporters of the country's political factions. Now, many of the protesters are younger, and they want to change the entire political establishment.

Iraq's president has asked the prime minister to resign and called for new elections, two key demands of protesters there.

Protests continue in Baghdad demanding the ouster of the current government.

With hundreds of thousands of people in the streets and political leaders allying against him, Iraq's prime minister faces intense pressure to resign. It could put Iraq in another political vacuum.

In Iraq and Syria, the ISIS leader's death has stirred a mix of responses — from joy to disbelief to dread that the militants will rise again.

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death has been met with some joy but also some skepticism in Mosul, where he declared the start of the caliphate.

President Trump announced the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Sunday. What do this means for U.S.-Syria policy, and how is the Middle East reacting.

U.S. officials say ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was targeted in a military raid in Syria.

Protesters across Iraq came out into the streets on Friday angry at low employment and poor government services in the country.

The Department of Justice is opening a criminal investigation into the origins of the Russia investigation. Also, a look at Republican response to the impeachment inquiry and protests in Iraq.

Large protests are expected to continue in Iraq Friday, even after the government said last week that many of the 149 people killed in recent protests were killed by security forces shooting to kill.

After five hours of talks on Tuesday, the leaders of Russia and Turkey agreed on how to jointly patrol parts of Syria that until recently were controlled by Kurdish forces.

The cease-fire between Turkey and Syrian Kurds appears to be holding, despite a looming deadline. Turkey's president said the process will not end before all of the Kurds have withdrawn as agreed.

Syrians angered at the U.S. betrayal of former Kurdish allies pelted military vehicles with stones and potatoes as U.S. forces left Syria for Iraq. Displaced civilians are also streaming across.