Douglas Burton is a former U.S. State Department official in Kirkuk, Iraq, and writes news and commentary from Washington, D.C. queries to Burtonnewsandviews@gmail.com.

Nigerians Head for the Polls as Religious Freedom Activists Call for U.S. Special Envoy

ISIS-affiliate Boko Haram continues to terrorize the country

A group of children walk past rubbles and remains of a house following a Boko Haram attack

Douglas Burton
February 15, 2019 3:40 PM

Nigerians go to the polls on Saturday to choose their next president in an election some Christian observers call a "matter of life and death," as ongoing violence prompts activists to call for the appointment of a U.S. special envoy to the country.

Putin Tests the West

Kremlin watchers: Russian poisonings, election meddling require harsh response

Douglas Burton
March 31, 2018 5:00 AM

An uptick in tense U.S.-Russia relations saw Moscow expel 60 diplomats from Russia Thursday as retaliation for the United States ordering the removal of 60 Russian officials Monday.

Iraqi Forces to Focus on Liberating Tal Afar

Iraqi PM to declare complete control of Old Mosul within 72 hours

Douglas Burton
July 5, 2017 1:21 PM

In the coming days, Iraqi counterterrorism forces are expected to assault the remaining ISIS stronghold in Tal Afar—roughly 40 miles west of Mosul—according to the commander of Iraq's Joint Military Operations, Lieutenant General Abdel Amir Rashid Yarallah, who spoke to Iraqi media July 4.

ISIS Continues to Lose Ground in Mosul

ISIS controls just 3 percent of West Mosul

Iraqi soldiers walk down a street in Mosul's western Al-Shifa district on June 15

Douglas Burton
June 16, 2017 12:00 PM

The final days of ISIS in Mosul are now in sight, as the remaining terrorists try to take as many civilian lives as they can.

Mosul Liberation Quickens Amid Rumors ISIS Leader Has Left Town

Military observers now predict recapture of west Mosul in weeks

Iraqis stand outside the rubble of their homes in the Shuhada neighbourhood of west Mosul

Douglas Burton
March 9, 2017 3:29 PM

Iraqi forces are clearing the terrorists out of West Mosul ahead of schedule, and coalition forces fighting ISIS believe the Caliph has fled.

Losing Ground, ISIS Terrorists in Mosul Coerce Population With Death Threats

Coalition planning 'third stage' of Mosul liberation process

Douglas Burton
February 7, 2017 5:00 AM

ISIS terrorists continue to lose ground and are forcing Mosul residents to collaborate with them or face death, according to Col. John Dorrian, spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force—Operation Inherent Resolve.

Troop Surge, Increased Coordination Helped Coalition Conquer East Mosul

Shift in strategy kills more than half of ISIS combatants in the area

Douglas Burton
February 1, 2017 2:21 PM

A shift in strategy combining a troop surge with increased coordination of artillery and air power has driven ISIS terrorists from their strongholds on the eastern bank of the Tigris river in the strategic city of Mosul, Iraq.

Former Turkish Counter-Terror Head: Security Purges Led to Ambassador Assassination

After failed coup, Erdogan replaced tens of thousands of police, judges, prosecutors, military officers

Douglas Burton
December 22, 2016 4:05 PM

The assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey Monday by a young police officer could be a foretaste of things to come, according to the former head of the Counter-terrorism and Operations Division for Turkey's national police in 2013.

ISIS Launches Counterattack After Syrian Regime Regains Control of Aleppo

Islamic State terrorists recapture oil fields in central Syria, city of Palmyra (Updated)

Douglas Burton
December 14, 2016 5:00 AM

Aleppo, Syria’s largest and wealthiest city fell back under the control of the Syrian regime Tuesday amid reports that the Syrian soldiers murdered as many as 82 civilians during Tuesday’s clearing of buildings in east Aleppo. Meanwhile, in a dramatic setback to the Syrian regime, the Islamic State terrorist group recaptured the oil field in central Syria and the city of Palmyra on Sunday.

ISIS Massacres Hundreds as Iraqi Army Battles in Downtown Mosul

Suicide bombers, IEDs, mass graves confront advancing government troops

Douglas Burton
November 15, 2016 3:20 PM

Iraqi forces pushing to reclaim Mosul are in a race against time to stop the terrorists from killing civilians in mass executions.