Sulaymaniyah

Some former Islamic State fighters, like this captive Abdel Rahman in Kirkuk, say if they hadn't agreed to join ISIS they would have been killed.

Sitting across from ‘the Ghost of ISIS’

Conflict

Abu Islam al-Iraqi, a former ISIS commander who ran clandestine cells of suicide bombers in the Iraqi town of Kirkuk has had some time to think about what he’s done. Author Robin Wright says he has few regrets.

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