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Namo Abdulla

Namo Abdulla joined VOA’s Extremism Watch Desk in 2020. As a graduate of Columbia Journalism School, he has contributed to multiple news organizations, including the New York Times, Reuters and Aljazeera English. Prior to joining VOA, Abdulla was the State Department correspondent for Rudaw TV, an Iraqi Kurdish news network.

Produced by Namo Abdulla

April 21, 2021
How Arab Spring Changed Culture of Journalist Safety

High toll of journalists killed covering the Arab Spring and its aftermath in the past decade has resulted in important conversations about freelancer safety and training
April 12, 2021
Iraqi Kurds Say Major IS Attack on Capital Was Foiled

The Kurdistan Regional Government released televised confessions of five Islamic State suspects who said they had crossed into the autonomous region from Syria to carry out explosions and assassinations
April 09, 2021
LGBTQ Members Face Threats in Iraqi Kurdistan

Members of the LGBTQ community in Iraqi Kurdistan say they face threats from both society and the government, prompting them to leave the country
April 08, 2021
More Newspapers Doesn’t Always Mean More Freedom in Post-Gadhafi Libya

The 2011 ouster of dictator Ghadafi brought hundreds of media outlets to Libya, but in a country controlled by militias, journalists self-censor to stay safe
March 24, 2021
Lack of US Action Against Saudi Crown Prince Bemoaned

Absence of sanctions following Khashoggi intelligence report leaves Saudi critics more vulnerable, say analysts
March 12, 2021
Iraq in Shock After Islamic State Massacres Family of Seven

Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for massacring a seven-member Iraqi family in Salahuddin province on Friday, calling them spies for an Iran-backed group.
March 10, 2021
Kurdish Women Who Fought IS in Northeast Syria Celebrate Women’s Day

On March 8, or the International Women’s Day, women in the Kurd-led administration in northeast Syria threw a party to celebrate freedoms following defeat of the Islamic State terror group
March 09, 2021
Iraq's Minorities Hope for Safer Future in Wake of Pope's Historic Visit

Pope Francis concluded his three-day trip to the country Monday after meeting with its top religious and political leaders and touring multiple cities with a message of peace
February 26, 2021
Who Are Iran-backed Militants Struck by US in Syria?

Kataeb Hezbollah and Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhada, two of the Iran-backed militias based in Iraq and operating in Syria, were struck Thursday by US military in eastern Syria
February 25, 2021
The Yazidi Women Who Do Not Want to Be Known

As many as 250 Yazidi women who were forced into sex slavery by Islamic State militants are believed to be hiding in Syria’s al-Hol Camp because they fear for the future of their children
February 19, 2021
Officials, Experts Say Islamic State’s Economic Spigot Not Dry Yet

From imposing use of their own dinars to cryptocurrency, prior financial preparations for latest phase of insurgency have largely been overlooked, say some observers
February 10, 2021
Local Officials Say Iraq's Kakais, Fearing IS, Are Fleeing Their Villages

Kakai men traditionally grow big mustaches, a feature that, members say, has meant certain death for many of them as IS used it to identify them
February 10, 2021
Local Officials Say Iraq's Kakais, Fearing IS, Are Fleeing Their Villages

Kakai men traditionally grow big mustaches, a feature that, members say, has meant certain death for many of them as IS used it to identify them
February 07, 2021
Kurds Warn of Growing Islamic State Capabilities in Iraq

A Kurdish official said their intelligence indicates more fighters from Arab nationalities have recently joined IS in Iraq, crossing from the country’s nearly 650-kilometer porous border with Syria
January 25, 2021
Iranian Show Irks Iraqi Kurds, Portraying Them as Weak Against IS Terror

Name of the miniseries is “Small Narrations,” which is produced by a pro-government filmmaker named Mohammad Bagher Mofidikia
January 12, 2021
Iraqis Voice Mixed Reactions to US Designation of Key Politician

The Iraqi government has publicly joined pro-Iran voices to slam the blacklisting of Falih al-Fayyadh, raising questions on the future of US-Iraq relations
December 23, 2020
Iran-Backed Iraqi Militants Deny Involvement in US Embassy Attack

Experts say armed Shi’ite groups fear retaliation from outgoing Trump administration
December 19, 2020
What Is Bahrain's Saraya al-Mukhtar Militia?

Obscure armed group was founded in 2013, 2 years after Sunni rulers of Bahrain violently crushed a popular pro-democracy uprising led by nation’s majority Shi’ite population
December 07, 2020
Iraqi Kurdish Government Raids and Suspends Broadcaster

Iraqi Kurdish security forces raid NRT headquarters in Sulaymaniyah and order opposition outlet that covers anti-government protests to cease broadcasts for one week
December 07, 2020
Kurdish Families Pay Islamic State Ransom to Free Loved Ones

The Islamic State terror group has released two young Kurdish security guards after their families paid ransom

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