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DECEMBER
December 26, 2003, 12:45 PM EST
String of Attacks in Iraq Leaves 5 U.S. Soldiers Dead
Five American soldiers were killed in a string of attacks in Iraq since Thursday night, marking one of the deadliest bursts of violence against coalition troops since the Dec. 13 capture of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
December 24, 2003, 12:00 PM EST
Roadside Bombs, Suicide Attacks Kill 3 Americans, at Least 6 Iraqis
Three U.S. soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb on Wednesday north of Baghdad hours after U.S. aircraft and gunships fired on hideouts of suspected insurgents in Baghdad. The American deaths come as attacks continued on Iraqis working with Coalition forces. Four civilians were killed Wednesday when a car bomb in Irbil and two more died in a blast in Baghdad.
December 17, 2003, 1:30 PM EST
Saddam to Stand Trial in Iraq as U.S. Rounds up Suspected Insurgents
Iraq's U.S.-appointed Governing Council on Wednesday said former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was being held in the Baghdad area and would stand trial in Iraq. Meanwhile, U.S. forces launched a raid against suspected insurgents in the northern town of Samarra.
December 16, 2003, 7:45 PM EST
President Says Saddam Deserves 'Ultimate Penalty,' as Trial Debate Continues
Even as international legal experts and Iraqi officials continued to discuss the venue and format of the trial of Saddam Hussein, President Bush publicly declared he believes the former dictator should face the "ultimate penalty" for crimes committed during his reign.
December 16, 2003, 1:45 PM EST
U.S., France, Germany Look to Ease Iraq's Debt
U.S. special envoy James Baker, French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed Tuesday that international creditors should find a way to ease Iraq's foreign debts in 2004.
December 15, 2003, 8:45 PM EST
U.S. Considers Effects of Saddam's Capture
Margaret Warner discusses the impact of the former dictator's arrest on the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and the broader war on terror with Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., National Security Advisor during the Carter administration Zbigniew Brzezinski and Walter Russell Mead of the Council on Foreign Relations.
December 15, 2003, 8:30 PM EST
Iraqi Leader Adnan Pachachi Describes Meeting with Saddam
Four leaders of the new Iraq met with Saddam Hussein the day after U.S. forces detained him. One of the leaders describes his conversation with the ousted dictator.
December 15, 2003, 1:45 PM EST
President Bush Promises Fair Trial for Saddam
U.S. military officials are questioning ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein after his dramatic Saturday arrest in a rural area near his hometown of Tikrit, a detainment President Bush said Monday should lead to a fair and public trial where "all the atrocities need to come out."
RealAudio: President Bush answers reporters' questions about what will happen to Saddam. He also outlines his administration's domestic agenda leading into the new year.
December 14, 2003, 1:32 PM EST
Saddam Hussein Captured During Raid Near Tikrit
Announcing "We got him," Iraqi administrator Paul Bremer confirmed the capture of former dictator Saddam Hussein. Saddam was captured in the basement of a rural farmhouse south of his former stronghold of Tikrit.
President, Americans Respond: President Hails Capture, Says Saddam Will Face Justice
Reaction in Iraq: Dramatic Capture Sparks Street Celebrations, Talk of Trial
International Reaction: World Leaders Congratulate U.S. on Capture of Saddam
Briefings:
RealAudio: President Bush pledges Saddam Hussein will face justice for crimes he committed as leader of Iraq.
RealAudio: Paul Bremer, Adnan Pachachi and Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez announce the capture.
RealAudio: Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno discusses the military operation that caught Saddam.
December 12, 2003, 1:44 PM EST
Iraq Contract Policy Complicates Planned Debt Talks
In the wake of the U.S. decision to bar Iraq war opponents from competing for contracts to rebuild the battle-scarred country, Russia has said it may not restructure some $8 billion in Iraqi debt despite planned U.S. talks with Moscow and other countries to alleviate the country's large debt burden.
December 11, 2003, 5:46 PM EST
Attacks in Iraq Kill One U.S. Soldier, Injure Two Journalists
Iraqi suicide bombers in a truck blew themselves up at the gates of a U.S. Army base in Ramadi on Thursday, killing one soldier and wounding 14 others. Also, late Wednesday, a grenade attack injured two Time magazine journalists and two U.S. soldiers while on patrol in Baghdad.
December 10, 2003, 6:45 PM EST
U.S. Bars War Opponents From Bidding on Iraq Contracts
The Pentagon has limited the countries that can bid on $18.6 billion worth of reconstruction contracts in Iraq to those that supported the U.S.-led war, a move that has drawn international criticism.
Ray Suarez discusses the appropriations process with Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., ranking member of the House Government Reform Committee and James Schlesinger, former defense secretary and director of central intelligence.
December 9, 2003, 8:30 PM EST
Three Killed and Dozens Wounded in Car Bomb Attacks in Iraq
A series of suicide bombings and rocket-propelled grenade attacks in Iraq on Tuesday killed three Iraqis and injured dozens of others. Meanwhile, Japan has said it will send non-combat troops to the war-torn country.
Transcript: Kwame Holman reports from a town in Washington state where residents are grappling with the realities of war.
Transcript: Ray Suarez follows up on the Kay testimony with two members of the House Intelligence Committee.
December 2, 2003, 9:00 PM EST
U.S. Planners, Iraqi Governing Council Face Dissent From Respected Shia Leader
Iraq's senior Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has claimed that the coalition's plan to transfer power to a new civil authority does not pay proper heed to Islam or provide adequate representation for the Iraqi people. Al-Sistani has called for immediate general elections instead of the controlled regional caucuses backed by the U.S. and the Iraqi governing council.
December 1, 2003, 11:38 PM EST
U.S. Reports 54 Iraqis Killed After Ambushing Soldiers
The U.S. military reports its soldiers killed 54 Iraqis Sunday when the troops defended themselves against two simultaneous ambushes in the northern city of Samarra, but residents told reporters that the casualty figure is much lower.
Transcript: A New York Times correspondent reports from Samarra on the latest developments.
NOVEMBER
November 27, 2003, 6:45 PM EST
President Bush Pays Surprise Visit to Troops in Iraq
President Bush made a surprise Thanksgiving Day visit to U.S. troops in Baghdad in a mission to boost morale, marking the first time an American president has visited Iraq.
Transcript: A Newsweek reporter describes the event in an interview with Ray Suarez.
RealAudio: Mr. Bush thanks U.S. soldiers for "defending the American people from danger" in this full recording of his speech.
November 27, 2003, 6:35 PM EST
International Efforts Continue to Focus on Rebuilding War-torn Iraq
Despite continuing violence and attacks on the Red Cross, United Nations and other groups, many humanitarian groups and American agencies have continued the work of trying to rebuild Iraq. Andrew Natsios, the head of U.S. Agency for International Development, outlines the work of his organization to help Iraqis rebuild a nation ravaged by decades of neglect and war.
November 26, 2003
U.S. Accuses Two Arab-Language Networks of Working with Iraqi Insurgents
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Tuesday alleged that two leading Arab-language TV networks, Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera, were cooperating with insurgents in Iraq by videotaping attacks against coalition troops -- accusations strongly rejected by both networks.
November 25, 2003, 11:15 AM EST
Weekend of Violence in Iraq Leaves Three American Soldiers, 13 Iraqi Policemen Dead
Three U.S. soldiers, 13 Iraqi policemen, and as many as six civilians were killed in separate attacks throughout Iraq Saturday and Sunday. A military official who originally reported that two of the American dead were beaten by a mob in the northern city of Mosul, later said the soldiers died of gunshot wounds. Shootings and suicide bombings also targeted several Iraqi police stations and a corporate jet was struck by a surface-to-air missile near the Baghdad airport.
November 21, 2003, 9:35 PM EST
Armitage Outlines New Plan in Iraq
The deputy secretary of state discusses a coalition plan to give more authority to the Iraqi governing council and assesses recent attacks in Iraq and Turkey.
November 21, 2003, 12:50 PM EST
Rockets Fired From Donkey Carts Hit Symbolic Sites in Iraq
Insurgents launched rockets from donkey carts Friday morning, hitting two hotels in Baghdad and Iraq's Oil Ministry in an apparently coordinated, symbolic attack on the highly fortified sites.
November 19, 2003, 9:45 PM EST
Bush Defends Iraq War During Visit to UK.
Amid tight security and planned antiwar demonstrations, President Bush delivered a major speech during his state visit to Britain Wednesday, defending the coalition's goals in the Iraq war.
November 17, 2003, 6:45 PM EST
U.S. Forces Target Guerrillas in Iraq
As military officials continue to investigate the cause of Saturday's crash of two military helicopters in Mosul that killed 17 American soldiers, the U.S. military has stepped up its campaign to fight insurgents in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.
Transcript: The New York Times' John Burns, recently returned from a trip to Baghdad, discusses the unease and instability he found in the Iraqi capital.
November 14, 2003, 9:30 PM EST
Iraq Prepares to Build New Government
Members of the Iraqi National Movement and the Iraqi Forum for Democracy debate the merits of the Bush administration's plan to hasten the transfer of political power to the Iraqi people.
November 14, 2003, 1:30 PM EST
Troops Killed as U.S. Continues Counterattacks
Two American soldiers and a civilian contractor were killed in Iraq late Thursday as a U.S. military commanders pressed forward for a third day with Operation Iron Hammer, aimed at defeating Iraqi insurgents who have attacked both civilian and military targets.
The U.S. administrator for Iraq, Paul Bremer, is scheduled to meet with the Iraqi Governing Council on Saturday to discuss plans for speeding up the transition of power to Iraqi officials.
November 14, 2003
Pentagon Limits Media Access to Funerals
The Pentagon has ordered officials at Arlington National Cemetery to enforce rules limiting press coverage of funerals by distancing reporters from graveside services.
November 13, 2003, 8:35 PM EST
U.S. Officials, Members of Congress Consider American Role in Iraq
With continued attacks against coalition and humanitarian targets in Iraq, President Bush and other government officials have been discussing efforts to expedite greater Iraqi control over the security situation. The two leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee discuss the potential benefits and pitfalls of the "Iraqification" of the political and military leadership.
Transcript: American officials outline efforts to combat insurgents and transfer authority to Iraqis.
November 12, 2003, 12:09 PM EST
Attack on Italian Police Base in Iraq Kills at Least 25
A truck bomb exploded at an Italian police base in the Iraqi town of Nasiriyah Wednesday, killing at least 17 Italians and eight Iraqis in the first attack against Italian troops.
The attack occurred as President Bush and U.S. civil administrator Paul Bremer discussed ways to accelerate the transition of power in Iraq to the Iraqi people in a second day of talks held in Washington.
November 11, 2003, 7:30 PM EST
U.S. Weighs Increased Participation of Iraqis in Peacekeeping Work
President Bush further outlined his plan Tuesday to transfer additional authority to the Iraqi Governing Council and train more Iraqi soldiers to provide security in that country. Jim Lehrer discusses the pros and cons of so-called "Iraqification" with two security and defense experts.
November 10, 2003, 5:56 PM EST
U.S. Steps Up Military Operations Against Insurgents
Despite coalition forces targeting "hot spots" of insurgent operations north and west of Baghdad over the weekend, the coalition's chief civilian administrator warned Monday of intensified attacks in the coming months.
November 7, 2003, 10:15 AM EST
Helicopter Goes Down in Tikrit; Six Americans Killed
A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed in the city of Tikrit Friday, killing all six American crew members. Coalition military officers on the scene told reporters the helicopter was likely brought down by enemy fire, perhaps a rocket-fired grenade, although official spokespeople said the crash was still under investigation. The Black Hawk downing comes only five days after a surface-to-air missile shot down a Chinook helicopter, killing 16 Americans near Fallujah.
November 6, 2003, 1:30 PM EST
Two U.S., One Polish Soldier Killed in Separate Attacks in Iraq
Attacks continued to take their toll on coalition soldiers Thursday as three soldiers -- two American and one Polish -- died in separate attacks throughout Iraq.
Transcript: Experts discuss a national nonpartisan poll that shows changing public sentiment on the Bush administration's Iraq policy.
November 4, 2003, 9:45 PM EST
Report Scrutinizes Iraq Contract Process
A recent report from a government watchdog group, the Center for Public Integrity, suggests insider connections may have influenced the Bush administration's method of awarding contracts for postwar Iraq's rebuilding.
November 4, 2003, 3:45 PM EST
Explosions Rock U.S. Compound in Baghdad; Four Injured
Several explosions from an apparent mortar or missile attack rocked central Baghdad Tuesday, with some of those blasts coming from within the highly protected compound where the U.S.-led administration has its headquarters.
November 3, 2003, 6:45 PM EST
Senate Approves $87 Billion for Iraq, Afghanistan Efforts
The Senate's voice vote approval Monday of an $87.5 billion bill to fund occupation and rebuilding efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan paves the way for President Bush to sign the measure into law.
November 3, 2003, 9:25 AM EST
U.S. Helicopter Shot Down West of Baghdad; 16 Killed and 20 Wounded
Unknown attackers downed a Chinook helicopter carrying American troops bound for a scheduled leave Sunday morning with a shoulder-fired rocket. The helicopter crashed south of the village of Fallujah, killing 16 and injuring 20.
Transcript: Two senior members of the Senate Armed Services Committee discuss the situation in Iraq.
OCTOBER
October 31, 2003, 9:45 PM EST
U.S. Blames Continued Attacks on Regime Remnants, Foreign Fighters
A series of deadly bombings and suicide attacks in the last week has targeted Coalition soldiers, Iraqi citizens and aid workers alike. The violence has prompted many international relief group and the United Nations to reconsider the level of its involvement in postwar Iraq. Experts assess whether those loyal to the former Saddam Hussein regime and foreign militants are to blame for the attacks and what American forces can do to end the violence.
October 30, 2003, 1:45 PM EST
U.N. Pulls Staff From Baghdad Due to Security Concerns
The United Nations will temporarily withdraw its international staff from Baghdad while it assesses the security situation there, a U.N. spokesman announced Thursday. The move followed a surge of violence in the Iraqi capital earlier in the week that left 34 people dead. One of the attacks targeted the International Committee of the Red Cross, leading the aid organization to scale back its personnel there.
October 29, 2003, 9:30 PM EST
International Red Cross Decreases Baghdad Staff
Following an attack on their Baghdad headquarters, the International Committee of the Red Cross has decided to remain in Iraq, but with a reduced number of foreign staffers.
October 29, 2003, 6:30 PM EST
Continued Attacks Undercut Rebuilding Efforts, Iraqi Confidence
Part II: In the second of two reports from Iraq, Simon Marks reports on the struggle to bring stability to postwar Iraq and the toll the continued violence is taking on everyday Iraqis and efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation.
Part I: Simon Marks visits hospitals, schools, markets and even a race track in Baghdad to find out how life has changed since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
October 28, 2003, 12:30 PM EST
Four Killed in Fallujah Car Bomb Blast
At least four people were killed Tuesday when a car bomb exploded near a police station in the tense Iraqi city of Fallujah, and three others were injured when a roadside bomb detonated in the southern city of Basra.
October 27, 2003, 9:30 PM EST
U.S. Grapples With Upswing in Violence in Iraq
Following two days of violence in and around Baghdad that left at least 34 dead and 200 wounded, a panel of former Defense officials and Iraqi-Americans discusses the impacts the rising revolts may have on U.S. policy in Iraq. President Bush has said the attacks have made him more determined than ever.
Update: Bombings Kill at Least 34, Wound 224 in Baghdad
October 24, 2003, 9:25 PM EDT
Donors Conference Yields Additional Funds for Postwar Reconstruction
The effort to rebuild postwar Iraq received a major boost Friday when nations pledged $13 billion in new aid on top of more than $20 billion from the United States. The number was far short of the estimated $56 billion needed to rebuild the war-torn nation. Washington Post foreign correspondent Keith Richburg recaps the results of a two-day donors conference in Madrid aimed at funding Iraq reconstruction.
Update: Three U.S. Soldiers Killed; Turkish Peacekeeper Deployment on Hold
October 23, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
U.S. Officials Assess Iraq's Oil Production Potential
As American diplomats at a donors conference in Madrid ask allies for billions of dollars to help rebuild Iraq, experts discuss Iraq's potential to regenerate its own wealth through oil production.
October 20, 2003, 1:30 PM EDT
Three Killed, Five Wounded in Fallujah Clash
A U.S. Army patrol outside Fallujah was ambushed during the day Monday, resulting in the deaths of one American soldier and two Iraqi civilians who were reportedly caught in the crossfire. Five others were wounded.
October 17, 2003, 6:30 PM EDT
Senate Approves, House Rejects Iraq Loan Provision
The Senate narrowly approved a measure late Thursday that calls on Iraq to repay half of the $20.3 billion the Bush administration has requested for its reconstruction, despite intense lobbying from the White House to approve the money without the repayment condition.
Kwame Holman reports on the congressional debate and prospects for compromise during next week's conference committee.
October 16, 2003, 9:30 PM EDT
U.N. Security Council Unanimously Backs Plan to Aid U.S. Efforts in Iraq
After weeks of negotiation, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously Thursday to expand the international presence in postwar Iraq. Pakistan's Ambassador to the U.N. Munir Akram and Wolfgang Ischinger, Germany's ambassador to the U.S., discuss the council's decision and how it may affect the situation in Iraq.
Update: U.N. Security Council Unanimously Backs Iraq Plan
October 14, 2003, 6:30 PM EDT
Security Council Weighs U.N. Involvement in Iraq
The New York Times' Felicity Barringer assesses U.S. efforts to garner U.N. assistance in Iraq.
October 13, 2003, 12:30 PM EDT
Nine Killed in Hotel Blast, Convoy Attacks
Six Iraqis and three American soldiers were killed in four separate incidents in Iraq in the last two days. U.S. and Iraqi officials have said the attacks were the work of suspected Saddam Hussein loyalists.
Transcript: Gwen Ifill speaks with Rajiv Chandrasekaran, the Washington Post's Middle East bureau chief, who was inside the Baghdad Hotel when one of the devices detonated.
October 10, 2003, 5:19 PM EDT
Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Baghdad Shiite District; Local Residents Protest Occupation
Violence continued in Baghdad's Sadr City Thursday night, when two U.S. soldiers were killed and four wounded in an ambush during a routine patrol of the heavily populated Shiite district. Following Friday morning's prayers and sermon, about 10,000 Iraqi Shiites marched through the streets to denounce the U.S. presence.
October 9, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
Administration Officials Differ on Iraq
Amid ongoing ground violence in Iraq, members of the Bush administration continue their war of words over the handling of postwar operations.
October 9, 2003, 12:30 PM EDT
Three Attacks in Iraq Leave 12 Dead
Three separate attacks in Iraq Thursday claimed the lives of a Spanish diplomat, a U.S. soldier and at least 10 Iraqis. The incidents occurred in and around Baghdad, with a suicide bombing of a police station, grenade attack on a U.S. convoy and assassination of the Spanish diplomat outside his house.
October 7, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Anne Garrels and Reporting from Baghdad
NPR correspondent Anne Garrels shares her unique experiences as one of the few non-embedded journalists who stayed in Baghdad during the Iraq war, and other stories from her recently published memoir, Naked in Baghdad.
October 7, 2003, 1:34 PM EDT
Three U.S. Soldiers Killed in Two Attacks in Iraq
Three American soldiers were killed in two separate attacks outside of Baghdad late Monday as violence and protests continued in the occupied capital. The continuing attacks occurred even as Turkey announced it might soon send troops to help with the peacekeeping efforts.
October 2, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
Lead Investigator of WMD in Iraq Discusses Interim Report
After testifying before House and Senate Intelligence committees, David Kay, the lead CIA investigator into weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, discusses his findings with Jim Lehrer.
October 1, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
U.S. Official Updates the Effort to Recover Looted Artifacts
Jeffrey Brown gets perspective on the recovery efforts at the Iraq Museum from Marine Reserve Col. Matthew Bogdanos, who headed the investigation into last April’s looting.
October 1, 2003
U.S. Must Work to Improve Image Abroad, Especially in Arab Nations, Panel Finds
The United States must dramatically transform its public diplomacy system to overcome growing anti-American sentiments abroad, according to a report released Wednesday by an advisory group appointed by the Bush administration.
SEPTEMBER
September 30, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
Former Marine General Blasts Postwar Iraq Policy
Jim Lehrer talks about Iraq with retired Marine General Anthony Zinni, who was the head of U.S. Central Command from 1997 to 2000.
September 30, 2003
The Justice Dept. Launches Investigation Into Leak of Covert CIA Agent
The Justice Department announced that it would launch an investigation into who disclosed the identity of a covert CIA agent, a leak the Washington Post reported occurred when unidentified White House officials called at least six journalists with the information.
Terence Smith speaks with Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, and Larry Johnson, former CIA analyst, about what journalists' obligations are to both their sources and the public.
September 26, 2003, 2:45 PM EDT
Iraqi Civilians Killed in Market Blast; U.S. Soldier Dies in Separate Ambush
A powerful mortar blast ripped through a crowded marketplace north of Baghdad Thursday night, killing at least nine civilians and injuring 18 others, U.S. officials said Friday.
Transcript: Marine commander Major Gen. James Mattis discusses the role of U.S. and international troops in post-war Iraq.
September 25, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Iraq Council Member Discusses Challenges of Rebuilding War-torn Country
Adnan Pachachi, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, shares his thoughts on the challenges of governing Iraq in the wake of a fellow council member's death from wounds suffered during an ambush five days ago.
Update: Iraq Interim Government Member Dies From Wounds
September 24, 2003, 8:45 PM EDT
Bremer Defends Iraqi Reconstruction, President Bush's Spending Requests
Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Iraq, speaks with Jim Lehrer about the current challenges facing U.S. troops in Iraq, and the $87 billion military spending request to aid U.S. reconstruction efforts in the country.
September 24, 2003, 2:45 PM EDT
Germany Agrees to Back U.S. in Stabilizing Iraq
Update: For the first time since sharply criticizing President Bush for his decision to go to war with Iraq, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has agreed to put aside past differences and support U.S. efforts in postwar Iraq.
September 24, 2003
Iraqi Governing Council Bans Two Arab Networks
The U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council late Tuesday temporarily banned the Arab world's two leading news organizations from covering official events, accusing both of promoting violence.
September 23, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
Pres. Bush Urges U.N. to Help Rebuild Iraq
Gwen Ifill speaks to four foreign affairs columnists about the speeches given at the United Nations on Tuesday by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, French President Jacques Chirac and President Bush.
Update: President Bush addressed the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday, defending the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and calling for more international support to rebuild it and Afghanistan.
RealAudio: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan opens the U.N. General Assembly.
RealAudio: President Bush speaks to the 191-member world body.
RealAudio: French President Jacques Chirac calls for timetable for handing over power to Iraq.
September 22, 2003, 9:30 PM EDT
Bremer Asks Senators for $87B to Fund Iraq, Afghanistan Efforts
Ray Suarez gets perspective from two experts following U.S. administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer's testimony on Capitol Hill on the administration's $87 billion request for military and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Update: Car Bomb Explodes Near U.N. Headquarters in Baghdad
September 22, 2003
U.S. Military Clears Soldiers in Cameraman's Death
U.S. soldiers acted within the rules of engagement when they shot and killed an award-winning Reuters cameraman Aug. 17 on the outskirts of Baghdad, a U.S. Army officer told the Associated Press on Monday.
September 19, 2003, 1:30 PM EDT
Saddam Defense Minister Surrenders; Troops Come Under Fire
Update: After weeks of negotiating, the last of Saddam Hussein's defense ministers -- former Gen. Sultan Hashim Ahmad -- surrendered to an American commander in Tikrit on Friday. Meanwhile, three U.S. soldiers were killed and two wounded in an attack that lasted throughout the night.
September 18, 2003
BBC Correspondent Admits Errors in Report on Iraq Intelligence
British Broadcasting Corp. radio journalist Andrew Gilligan admitted he made several errors in his report that accused Prime Minister Tony Blair's aides of "sexing up" intelligence data to bolster its case for war with Iraq.
September 17, 2003, 9:30 PM EDT
U.S. Administrators Push to Train New Iraqi Police Force
As violence continues to plague postwar Iraq, U.S. administrators are working to train more Iraqis for the country's security and police forces. Ray Suarez discusses the latest on these postwar efforts with Bernard Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner, who just returned from Iraq after serving for four months as the country's interim interior minister and special adviser to Paul Bremer, the top American in Iraq.
September 15, 2003, 9:15 PM EDT
France, U.S. Differ on International Role in Iraq
French and American diplomats continue to spar over when the U.S. should handover the governing of Iraq to local officials and the United Nations. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell rejected a French proposal during a conference in Geneva this weekend. Jean-David Levitte, France's ambassador to the U.S., discusses his country's position.
September 12, 2003, 2:15 PM EDT
Clashes Leave Two U.S. Soldiers, Eight Iraqi Policemen Dead
Update: Eight Iraqi policemen were killed by U.S. forces Friday near the Iraqi town of Fallujah in what has been described as a "friendly fire" incident. The policemen were reportedly returning from a pursuit of suspected bandits when they came under fire from U.S. soldiers. A few hours later, in the village of Ramadi, two U.S. soldiers were killed during a raid on a house where suspected Saddam Hussein loyalists were staying.
September 10, 2003, 8:45 PM EDT
Rumsfeld Defends U.S. Actions in Iraq, Pre-war Planning
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discusses the challenge of rebuilding Iraq, pre-war intelligence, and the president's call for more international involvement.
September 8, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Lawmakers React to President Bush's Request for Funding
Two senators discuss the president's request for $87 billion in additional funding for military activity in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Update: World Leaders Welcome President Bush's Appeal for International Involvement in Iraq
September 7, 2003, 9:50 PM EDT
President Bush Defends U.S. Role in Iraq
Update: In a prime-time presidential address Sunday evening President Bush said Iraq "is now the central front" in the global war on terrorism and called upon the international community to participate in the rebuilding process. The president also asked Congress for an additional $87 billion to fund U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.
RealAudio | Text: President Bush Addresses the Nation
September 3, 2003, 9:32 PM EDT
U.S. to Seek New U.N. Resolution, More International Troops in Iraq
The United States has begun garnering support for a United Nations Security Council resolution that would be used to encourage more countries to station their troops in Iraq under U.S. command. Jim Lehrer speaks to experts on the Bush administration's shift in strategy.
Update: Secretary of State Colin Powell Announces Policy Shift
September 2, 2003, 1:45 PM EDT
Iraqi Police Headquarters Bombed, U.S. Soldiers Attacked
Update: On the day Shiites in Najaf gathered to bury a cleric killed in a car bombing last week, an Iraqi policeman was killed and 15 others were wounded in Baghdad when a vehicle exploded outside the city's police headquarters.
AUGUST
August 29, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Car Bomb at Iraqi Mosque Kills at Least 75, Including Key Cleric
Iraqi Shiite Muslim leader Mohammed Bakr al-Hakim was one of at least 75 people killed when a car bomb exploded at the main mosque in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf during prayers on Friday. New York Times reporter in Iraq Neil MacFarquhar offers the latest on the bombing and tensions in the region.
Update: Car bomb kills 75 in Iraqi city of Najaf.
Interview: Before the war, Ayatollah Mohammed Bakr al-Hakim discussed the impending conflict in an interview with the NewsHour. August 29, 2003
Blair's Media Chief to Resign Amid Controversy
Alastair Campbell, a central figure in the controversy over British prewar Iraq intelligence, announced Friday he would leave his post as Prime Minister Tony Blair's director of communications and strategy.
August 28, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
British Prime Minister Blair Responds to Allegations of Embellished Iraqi Intelligence
British Prime Minister Tony Blair answers his critics and responds to BBC reports that weapons inspector Dr. David Kelly was the source for reports that the British government manipulated intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
Media Correspondent Terence Smith considers how the bitter row between Blair's government and the BBC may affect public opinion of both the news media and the British leader?
August 26, 2003, 9:50 PM EDT
Senators Consider the After-War
In a speech, President Bush defended the mission in Iraq as a critical component in the global war on terrorism. Two U.S. senators who have traveled to Iraq offer perspective on the postwar situation and U.S. foreign policy.
August 22, 2003, 9:50 PM EDT
U.S. Weighs International Assistance in Ending Violence in Iraq
In the wake of a deadly attack on United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, the United States has said it is weighing asking more nations to help in efforts to stabilize and rebuild Iraq. Several key nations have said they will only contribute if the force is headed by the U.N., but the U.S. has said it will not cede its control of the administration of Iraq. Four military and diplomatic analysts debate the need for international assistance in the Iraq mission.>
August 21, 2003, 9:42 PM EDT
U.S. Exploring Possible Expanded Role for U.N., Powell Says
Update: Secretary of State Colin Powell told diplomats at the United Nations that the United States is considering a new resolution that would "call on member states to do more" in Iraq, but added the U.S.-led coalition had no plans to cede control of the country.
Analysis: Editors Discuss Fallout from U.N. Bombing
RealAudio: Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and U.S. General John Abizaid discuss the situation in Iraq.
August 21, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Editors' Views on Iraq
Terence Smith and four editorial page editors from across the country discuss the situation in postwar Iraq in the wake of Tuesday's bombing of the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad.
August 20, 2003, 6:02 PM EDT
U.N. Vows to Continue Work in Iraq
American soldiers and United Nations officials continued to sift through the rubble of the bombed headquarters in Baghdad, U.N. authorities vowed to continue their work to rebuild the war-torn nation. Four experts discuss the attack and its potential impact on the international community's effort in Iraq
RealAudio: The New York Times Dexter Filkins reports on the somber mood in Baghdad a day after the attack.
August 19, 2003, 9:22 PM EDT
Bombing Tests U.N. Resolve, Mission in Iraq
In the wake of a deadly attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad that killed the top envoy and 19 others, the international organization vowed to continue its efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation. Two regional experts and the New York Times Thomas Friedman discuss the attack and its possible impact on the situation on the ground in Iraq.
Update: U.N. Headquarters Bombed in Baghdad
Profile: U.N. Envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello
RealAudio: President Bush's remarks on the bombing
August 18, 2003, 6:37 PM EDT
Weekend Attacks Threaten Economic Recovery, U.S. Says
Update: A weekend of attacks on Iraq's energy and water infrastructure threatened to disrupt U.S. reconstruction plans, while depriving many Iraqis of electricity and water supplies amid rising summer temperatures.
August 18, 2003
Reuters Cameraman Shot Dead by U.S. Troops While Filming in Iraq
During a weekend of violence, Mazen Dana, an award-winning Reuters cameraman, was shot dead Sunday afternoon by U.S. troops in Iraq after they apparently mistook his camera for a grenade-launcher.
August 13, 2003
U.S. Probe Clears Soldiers in Deadly Attack on Baghdad Hotel
A U.S. military inquiry into the shelling that killed two foreign journalists at the Palestine Hotel April 8 concluded that the troops were justified in firing at what they had reason to believe was an enemy position, the U.S. Central Command said late Tuesday.
August 11, 2003, 6:57 PM EDT
British Troops Face Iraqi Anger, Violence over Continuing Shortages
British troops fired in the air to help disperse a crowd of protesters after anger over fuel and power shortages boiled over into stone-throwing and torching of vehicles in Basra, news services reported over the weekend. New York Times reporter Robert Worth reports on coalition efforts to calm the local population and improve services in the southern Iraqi city.
August 8, 2003, 2:57 PM EDT
President Bush Marks 100th Day Since End of Major Military Operations
Update: President Bush marked the 100th day since major military action in Iraq ended with a press appearance at his ranch in Crawford, Tex. He said the U.S. has made "good progress" towards improving security and the economy of Iraq. Also Friday, a U.S. soldier was killed in Baghdad and coalition snipers killed two men who were unloading weapons at a marketplace in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, according to military officials.
August 7, 2003, 2:57 PM EDT
Jordanian Embassy in Iraq Bombed, at Least Eight Killed
Update: A powerful car bomb exploded outside the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad Thursday, killing at least eight people, in what U.S. officials called the worst attack on a non-military target since the end of major combat operations in Iraq.
RealAudio: Terence Smith discusses the recent violence in Iraq with Rod Nordland, Baghdad bureau chief for Newsweek magazine.
JULY
July 31, 2003, 12:54 PM EDT
Iraq Could Hold Elections Next Summer
Update: Elections that could replace Iraq's interim government and end U.S. occupation of the country could be held as early as next summer, the chief U.S. civil administrator in Iraq said Thursday.
July 29, 2003, 4:54 PM EDT
Key Saddam Loyalists Captured; Iraq Council Creates Rotating Presidency
Update: American soldiers captured several key Saddam Hussein loyalists during a series of early morning raids in the former leader's hometown of Tikrit Tuesday, including one man who officials claim was a personal bodyguard to the ousted Iraqi leader and rarely left his side.
In a separate development, the 25-member U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council elected a nine-member rotating presidency Tuesday, ending two weeks of debate over who would lead postwar Iraq's governing body.
July 28, 2003, 9:34 PM EDT
U.S. Troops Intensify Search for Saddam
The hunt for Saddam Hussein intensified this weekend as U.S. soldiers raided buildings in Baghdad and Tikrit looking for the ousted Iraqi leader and his henchmen.
New York Times reporter Richard Oppel describes the search strategy and the impact on Iraqi civilians in the region.
July 24, 2003, 10:50 PM EDT
Civilian Administrator Reacts to Death of Saddam's Sons, Efforts to Rebuild Iraq
Ambassador Paul Bremer, the civilian administrator for Iraq, discusses the release of graphic photos of the dead bodies of Uday and Qusay Hussein, the sons of ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Bremer also updates the continuing violence and efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation.
Update: Three U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Ambush
July 23, 2003, 9:20 PM EDT
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz Defends Iraq Plan
On the heels of his visit to Iraq, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz discusses the deaths of Uday and Qusay Hussein, reconstruction efforts in postwar Iraq and the Bush administration's rationale for engaging in the Iraq war.
Transcript: Also, Middle East experts discuss Arab reaction to the deaths of Saddam's sons as well as sentiment toward the United States.
Update: U.S. May Release Photos of Uday and Qusay
Text: President Bush hails the deaths of Saddam Hussein's two sons.
July 22, 2003, 8:45 PM EDT
Uday, Qusay Hussein Killed in Gunbattle with U.S. Forces
U.S. officials reported Tuesday that the two sons of toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein were killed during a firefight with U.S. forces in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Intelligence and Iraq experts consider the deaths of Uday and Qusay and the potential impact on efforts to rebuild the war-torn nation.
Update: Saddam Hussein's Sons Killed in Gunbattle with U.S. Troops
July 21, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Iraqi Council Strives to Establish Legitimacy
Representatives from Iraq's U.S.-backed interim Governing Council attended a meeting of the U.N. Security Council Tuesday as it works toward establishing international legitimacy as Iraq's new political voice.
July 21, 2003, 12:40 PM EDT
Wolfowitz Calls for Patience as Attacks Continue In Iraq
Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz called for patience from Iraqis as the U.S. continued its efforts to end violence and begin rebuilding the war-torn nation. Wolfowitz's comments came as another American was killed in a roadside bombing Monday, bring the total to five U.S. soldiers, an Iraqi interpreter and a United Nations driver killed since Friday.
July 18, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
Congress Continues Inquiry into Prewar Intelligence
Two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee discuss the Bush administration's release of previously classified information on Iraq's weapons program to justify its case for war.
July 18, 2003, 2:45 PM EDT
U.S. Soldier Killed in Fallujah Bombing as "Guerrilla" Tactics Continue
An American soldier in Iraq was killed Friday when a bomb detonated under a military convoy in a city west of Baghdad as attacks continue in what has been deemed by a top U.S. military official as "guerrilla" warfare against coalition forces patrolling the region.
July 15, 2003, 2:36 PM EDT
American Administrator in Iraq Says U.S. Presence Now Up to Iraqi People
The American administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, said Tuesday that with the creation of the new Iraqi Governing Council, the duration of the U.S. presence in Iraq was now up to the Iraqi people and that the U.S. has "no desire to stay any longer than necessary." Bremer's comments come as the Defense Department announced it would keep thousands of U.S. troops from the Army's Third Infantry Division in Iraq indefinitely, despite earlier plans for many of the soldiers to return home by September.
Update: Iraqi Governing Council Convenes as Violence Continues
July 11, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
President Defends Prewar Claims of Iraqi Weapons Programs
President Bush and his national security adviser said Friday that the Central Intelligence Agency had endorsed the president's erroneous claim in his State of the Union address that Iraq tried to acquire nuclear material from Africa. CIA Director George Tenet said later that his agency had erred in allowing the use of the allegations of a Niger-Iraqi uranium deal. Ray Suarez discusses the intelligence controversy with Walter Pincus, who has covered the story for The Washington Post and the political impact with Mark Shields and David Brooks.
RealAudio: Kwame Holman reports on how the story unfolded.
July 9, 2003, 10:40 PM EDT
Senators Question Secretary Rumsfeld on Prewar Intelligence
In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld faced questions on prewar intelligence on Iraq and the continuing attacks on American soldiers still in the war-torn country. Sens. John Warner, chairman of the committee, and Carl Levin, the panel's top Democrat, discuss the situation in Iraq.
Update: Rumsfeld Defends Pre-and Postwar Actions in Iraq
July 8, 2003, 10:40 PM EDT
Is the U.S. Facing a Guerrilla War in Iraq?
Attacks on Americans in Iraq have killed about 30 people since President Bush declared major combat over. Recently, gunmen have also targeted local policemen and other Iraqis working with the Americans. Ray Suarez discusses the situation in Iraq with Colonel W. Patrick Lang, Retired Marine Corps Colonel Gary Anderson and political science professor Louis Cantori.
July 8, 2003, 5:45 PM EDT
Iraq Prewar Nuclear Intelligence Flawed
White House officials, still facing questions over the use of prewar intelligence on Iraq, acknowledged Tuesday that the president's assertion that Iraq had attempted to purchase uranium from Niger was based on forged documents.
July 7, 2003, 1:05 PM EDT
General Sees No Need For More Troops in Iraq, Attacks Kill Three Soldiers
The outgoing commander of forces in Iraq said Monday he saw no reason to increase the number of troops deployed in the war-torn country despite continuing attacks that left another three American soldiers and a British journalist dead in Baghdad.
July 3, 2003, 1:43 PM EDT
Eight U.S. Soldiers Wounded and Two Civilians Killed in Iraq Attacks
Iraqi fighters wounded eight U.S. soldiers in separate attacks on Thursday, a day after President George Bush sent a message to would-be assailants saying the U.S. had sufficient force to deal with any resistance.
July 2, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Editorial Views: Elusive Weapons
Terence Smith discusses the importance of the thus far unsuccessful search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq with four editorial page writers from across the country.
July 2, 2003, 8:19 PM EDT
Lack of Banned Weapons Evidence in Iraq Sparks Debate
The Bush administration argued that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction posed an imminent threat to the United States and the world in its case for military action against Saddam Hussein. Editorial page editors from across the nation discuss the public's reaction to the thus far unsuccessful search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
JUNE
June 30, 2003
BBC Reporter Threatens to Sue British Minister for Libel
British Broadcasting Corporation correspondent Andrew Gilligan said he would sue Phil Woolas, the Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, over the allegation that he "misled" a parliamentary inquiry into Prime Minister Tony Blair's intelligence to make its case for the Iraq war.
June 27, 2003, 4:49 PM EDT
U.S. Troops Face New Attacks; Rumsfeld Dismisses Concerns of Guerrilla War
Update: A U.S. soldier was shot in the neck at close-range in a Baghdad store on Friday, as military officials confirm that at least three U.S. military personnel have been killed in Iraq since Thursday. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld blamed the latest attacks on criminals and former regime sympathizers, while dismissing concerns the hostilities have escalated into a guerrilla war.
June 24, 2003, 9:35 PM EDT
Death of Six British Soldiers in Iraqi Ambush Sparks Increased Security Concerns
A pair of deadly ambushes in southern Iraq marks the latest in a series of attacks against coalition military positions in the strife-torn nation. Three regional experts examine the cause of the latest violence and what it means for the future stability of postwar Iraq.
Update: Six British Soldiers Killed in Attacks in Iraq
Background: Conflict, Strife Since the End of Major Combat Operations
June 17, 2003, 10:01 PM EDT
Iraqis, U.S. Work to Build a Free Press
In the wake of the war in Iraq, there is an international effort to establish independent media in Iraq. Deborah Amos, an NPR News correspondent reporting from Baghdad, and David Hoffman, president of the Internews Network discuss the current state of Iraqi media and the progress toward creating a free press.
June 16, 2003, 10:01 PM EDT
Congress Debates Pre-War Intelligence on Iraq's Weapons
As Congress investigates the intelligence that made the case for war with Iraq, two senators discuss what may have been known about Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction program. Two members of the Senate Intelligence Committee offer their perspectives on the investigation.
June 16, 2003, 12:21 PM EDT
U.S. Soldiers Wounded as Anti-Resistance Operation Continues
Update: Four U.S. soldiers were wounded in separate ambush assaults in Iraq Sunday as U.S. troops continue operations designed to uproot pockets of resistance capable of launching such attacks on coalition forces.
June 13, 2003, 6:45 PM EDT
U.S. Troops Engage Iraqi Fighters
Update: U.S. forces killed 27 Iraqi fighters on Friday, in the most recent of a spate of battles that has left some 100 Iraqis and at least two Americans dead in the last week.
June 12, 2003, 3:43 PM EDT
'Chemical Ali' May Still Be Alive
Reports indicate a top Iraqi leader who U.S. officials said had likely been killed by coalition bombing may be alive and well. Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as "Chemical Ali," reportedly left a Baghdad hospital shortly before U.S. troops took over the city. Meanwhile, U.S. forces continue to suffer casualties as they battle pockets of resistance within Iraq.
June 11, 2003, 8:35 PM EDT
Longtime Opposition Figure Considers Post-Saddam Iraq
Ahmad Chalabi, the cofounder of the Saddam Hussein opposition group the Iraqi National Congress, recently returned to Iraq after four decades in exile. Although he has participated in several meetings aimed at rebuilding postwar Iraq, Chalabi has criticized the pace of reconstruction and called for a swifter transition to Iraqi self-rule.
Profile: The Iraqi National Congress.
June 10, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Saving Private Lynch
Terence Smith discusses whether the American media too willingly accepted the story of the rescue of Private Jessica Lynch as presented by the Pentagon.
June 5, 2003, 9:15 PM EDT
President Bush Faces Questions on Postwar Iraq, U.S. Intelligence on Weapons
President Bush ended his week-long trip through Europe and the Middle East Thursday with a speech to U.S. troops in Qatar, and then flew home to face questions on conditions in postwar Iraq and the U.S. intelligence that led to the war.
Margaret Warner speaks with two senators about the pace of reconstruction and the controversy over U.S. intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
MAY
May 29, 2003, 9:15 PM EDT
Search For Weapons of Mass Destruction Continues in Iraq
Nearly two months after the fall of Baghdad, coalition troops have not found definitive proof of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Four experts discuss the continuing search.
May 29, 2003, 12:15 PM EDT
Blair Visits British Troops in Southern Iraq
Update: British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited his nation's troops in the Iraqi city of Basra Thursday, praising their work to bring stability to the area and pledging continued support for the effort ahead.
He told the British troops the people of Basra will "look back and remember what you did and recognize that as the start of their future and a life of hope and the possibility of prosperity."
May 28, 2003, 9:05 PM EDT
Two U.S. Soldiers Killed, Nine Injured in Firefight
Margaret Warner discusses security concerns in Iraq with Patrick Tyler, a New York Times correspondent in Baghdad.
Update: Two U.S. soldiers were killed and nine injured Tuesday after a "hostile force of unknown size" attacked an Army unit in the Iraqi city of Fallujah with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.
May 22, 2003, 9:35 PM EDT
U.N. Approves Measure Lifting Iraq Sanctions
Margaret Warner gets two views on the process of securing Thursday's U.N. resolution and the potential effects of lifting sanctions on Iraq.
Update: The United Nations Security Council on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a plan to lift the 13-year-old sanctions regime against Iraq and back U.S. and British administration of the country
May 21, 2003, 7:45 PM EDT
Soldiers, Aid Workers Endeavor to Establish a New Order in Nasiriya
Elizabeth Farnsworth visits the city of Nasiriya, scene of several intense clashes during the Iraq war, to assess the latest military and humanitarian efforts to rebuild facilities and restore peace to the battle-scarred city.
May 20, 2003, 3:45 PM EDT
Iraqi Muslims Demand U.S. Withdrawal
Update: Thousands of Shiite Muslims protested in Baghdad Monday, demanding the withdrawal of U.S. forces and the establishment of an Iraqi government. Shiite leaders have accused the United States of breaking a promise to turn over control of the country.
U.S. envoy to Iraq L. Paul Bremer has said the U.S. will remain in power for an indefinite period of time, but will work toward an eventual transition to Iraqi control, a statement that has been met with anger and skepticism by some key groups inside the war-torn nation.
May 14, 2003, 6:42 PM EDT
British, Iraqis Work to Restore Normalcy in Basra
Elizabeth Farnsworth travels with a British patrol in the southern city of Basra and reports on the continuing struggle to return services and public order to a city torn by war and wracked by uncertainty.
Earlier Report: Shiite Exiles Return as Stabilization Effort Continues
May 13, 2003, 9:42 PM EDT
U.S., Iraqi Leaders Consider How to Rebuild a Legal System
As Iraqi reconstruction continues, legal experts discuss U.S. efforts to rebuild the country's legal infrastructure, and assess the role of religion in a fledgling democracy.
May 12, 2003, 9:42 PM EDT
Shiite Exiles Return as Stabilization Effort Continues
Elizabeth Farnsworth reports from Basra on the return of Shiite leader Ayatollah Muhammad Bakr al Hakim and the the effort to bring security and political stability to postwar Iraq.
May 12, 2003, 9:32 PM EDT
New Civilian Administrator Arrives in Baghdad
The new U.S. civilian administrator of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, arrived in Baghdad Monday to take over the country's reconstruction and quell the civil disorder hampering the transition to democracy.
Bremer traveled with Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and retired Army Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, who Bremer is replacing as the top civilian administrator in Iraq.
Update: Bremer Faces Skepticism, Critical Challenges
May 9, 2003, 9:42 PM EDT
U.S. Plans for Postwar Iraq Presented to Security Council
The United States took its postwar plans for Iraq to the United Nations on Friday, trying to persuade the Security Council to lift sanctions against the battered nation and give U.S. and British administrators control over its oil revenues. Ray Suarez discusses the proposal and its chances for passing the Security Council with two experts.
May 6, 2003, 6:50 PM EDT
International Creditors Consider Iraq's Debts
As financial planners and Iraq's emerging leaders struggle to develop a post-war economy, they face hundreds of billions of dollars in repirations, outstanding bonds and other debts. International financiers and American officials are debating how much the war-torn nation will have to pay and how much, if any, ought to be forgiven.
Paul Solman considers the billions of dollars Iraq owes and what should be done about it.
May 5, 2003, 5:50 PM EDT
Hunt For Weapons of Mass Destruction Continues
A top Iraqi biological weapons expert who is believed to have played a key role in rebuilding Iraq's biological weapons program after the Persian Gulf War was reportedly in U.S. custody Monday. The arrest comes as U.S.-led coalition forces continue their search for evidence of biological, chemical or nuclear weapons in Iraq. So far, U.S. forces have not confirmed the existence of any weapons of mass destruction.
Ray Suarez and two guests assess the state of the weapons hunt in Iraq.
May 5, 2003, 2:45 PM EDT
New Iraqi Council, New Top U.S. Adminstrator Expected
Update: A leadership council of up to nine Iraqis will probably be named by mid-May as a step to a permanent government, according to Jay Garner, the current lead U.S. civil administrator in Iraq.
In another change in the still-developing reconstruction team, the Bush administration plans to replace Garner with a former diplomat, L. Paul Bremer III, as the top civil administrator for Iraq.
May 2, 2003, 7:55 PM EDT
Analysts Assess the Challenges Facing Post-Combat Iraq
With major combat over in Iraq, American and coalition forces are entering a new phase in the operation: the stabilization and security of the newly occupied nation.
Transcript: The New York Times' Michael Gordon provides an update on the military's strategy for keeping the peace.
May 1, 2003, 10:01 PM EDT
President Says Major Combat Over in Iraq, Rebuilding Remains
Major combat operations have ended in Iraq and the American effort has now shifted to rebuilding the war-torn nation's infrastructure and government, President Bush told the nation in a primetime address Thursday night.
RealAudio: The President's Address
May 1, 2003, 12:45 PM EDT
U.S. Troops Injured in Attack in Fallujah
Seven U.S. soldiers are wounded in a grenade and small arms attack on their base in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, where American troops on Tuesday and Wednesday shot at crowds of protestors, killing several Iraqis.
Update: U.S. Troops Shoot Iraqi Protestors in Fallujah
APRIL
April 30, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
Issues Surrounding the Rebuilding of Postwar Iraq
As plans for rebuilding post-war Iraq move forward, Gwen Ifill speaks with military and legal experts about efforts to involve foreign contractors, the costs of reconstruction, and the need for physical and political stability.
April 29, 2003, 2:45 PM EDT
Update: U.S. Troops Shoot Iraqi Protestors in Fallujah
April 28, 2003, 9:30 PM EDT
Building a Democracy: A Cultural Perspective
Margaret Warner gets three experts' historical perspectives on the questions of Islam and democratization as Iraq prepares to select an interim government.
Update: Coalition, Factions Discuss Iraq's Future
April 25, 2003, 6:05 PM EDT
U.S. Weighs Legal Status of Most Wanted
Ray Suarez discusses what the future may hold for the former Iraqi leaders now in U.S. hands with Iraq watchers and experts in international law.
Update: Tariq Aziz In Custody, Coalition Says
Background: Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz
April 24, 2003, 5:59 PM EDT
Oil Fields in Southern Iraq Begin Operation
U.S. and Iraqi engineers have began pumping oil out of the sprawling southern oil fields and into a large storage facility near Basra. Four oil industry and Iraqi experts consider the efforts to restart the Iraqi system.
Background: Iraq's Oil Reserves and Industry
Update: Tariq Aziz In Custody, Coalition Says
April 22, 2003, 9:24 PM EDT
New Clues in Search For Banned Weapons in Iraq
On the day Chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix argued that an international organization should disarm Iraq, The New York Times' Judith Miller, embedded with the U.S. 75th Exploitation Task Force, reports on the discoveries thus far, including an Iraqi scientist with vast knowledge of Iraq's weapons program.
April 22, 2003, 12:40 PM EDT
Hundreds of Thousands Make Shiite Pilgrimage to Karbala
Exercising their new-found religious freedom, hundreds of thousands of Shiites march to the Holy City of Karbala in Iraq, in a pilgrimage long banned by Saddam Hussein's regime.
In 1977, the last time Shiites celebrated the pilgrimage, Saddam's police forces killed many on the road to Karbala. Tuesday's pilgrimage marked the first time since then that Shiites could march freely.
April 21, 2003, 9:25 PM EDT
U.S. Administrator Tours Baghdad, Faces Tests
Jay Garner, the retired U.S. general appointed as Iraq's postwar civilian administrator, arrived in Baghdad on Monday to begin overseeing the country's reconstruction.
Four experts assess the tasks Garner must take on as the rebuilding and stabilization efforts begin in the war-torn nation.
April 21, 2003, 4:15 PM EDT
Four Top Iraqi Leaders Captured
U.S. forces captured Mohammed Hamza al-Zubeidi, a former Iraqi deputy prime minister and military commander, and three other key members of Saddam's toppled regime in the past three days.
Update: U.S. Captures Senior Baath Party Official
April 18, 2003, 7:45 PM EDT
Historians Consider Losses from the Baghdad Museum
Arts Correspondent Jeffrey Brown on the scope of what was lost when the Baghdad Museum was looted.
Update: FBI Investigates Baghdad Antiquities Looting
April 18, 2003, 1:55 PM EDT
Protests, Unrest Continue in Iraqi Capital
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of a Baghdad neighborhood Friday, demanding that U.S. forces leave the city. The protesters converged from several mosques shouting "No Bush, No Saddam, Yes to Islam," and "No to America, No to Secular State, Yes to Islamic State."
April 18, 2003, 1:01 PM EDT
Bechtel Corp. Awarded First Big Contract to Rebuild Iraq
The federal government on Thursday awarded Bechtel Corp. a contract worth up to $680 million to rebuild Iraq's transportation, power, water, and sewage systems following the collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime. April 18, 2003, 9:45 AM EDT
U.S. Captures Senior Baath Party Official
U.S. forces took custody of another of their "most wanted" from the former Iraqi regime Thursday, a Baath leader whom Central Command officials hope will help them further dismantle what remains of Saddam's regime.
RealAudio: General Vincent Brooks announces the capture at Friday's CentCom briefing
April 17, 2003, 9:35 PM EDT
Secretary Powell on the War and Its Aftermath
Secretary of State Colin Powell says the circumstances surrounding the U.S. dispute with Syria are different from those that led to war against Saddam Hussein.
In an interview with Jim Lehrer, Powell said that while the Bush administration considers Syria "one of the states that do sponsor terrorism," the U.S. has "ways to deal with a country such as Syria that don't involve ... pulling out an invasion plan."
The secretary also discusses upcoming meetings with Chinese and North Korean officials and the continuing hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
April 17, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
The Fall of Baghdad
John Burns discusses his harrowing experiences in Baghdad during the final days of Saddam Hussein's regime and the current state of the Iraqi capital.
April 17, 2003, 8:30 PM EDT
Inside Baghdad: The Iraqi Regime's Final Days
RealAudio: New York Times reporter John Burns on his harrowing experiences in Baghdad during the final days of Saddam Hussein's regime and the current state of the Iraqi capital.
April 17, 2003, 6:01 PM EDT
FBI Investigates Baghdad Antiquities Looting
The FBI announces it has sent a team of agents to Iraq to investigate the theft of priceless goods from the National Archeological Museum of Baghdad and other sites.
Update: Leaders Work to Recover Looted Iraqi Artifacts
April 17, 2003, 12:45 PM EDT
Three More Iraqis Killed in Mosul Clashes
Facing continued anti-American anger, U.S. Marines again clashed with local Iraqis in Mosul Wednesday, resulting in at least three more Iraqis killed and several wounded by U.S. forces.
April 17, 2003, 10:10 AM EDT
U.S., Saddam Opponents Move to Stabilize Baghdad
A member of a London-based Iraqi opposition group claimed to have been elected the leader of Baghdad Thursday, while U.S. military commanders made plans to restore order and repair Iraq's infrastructure.
April 17, 2003, 8:30 AM EDT
Coalition Captures Saddam's Half-Brother
U.S. special forces soldiers captured Barzan Ibrahim Hasan al-Tikriti, Saddam Hussein's half-brother and key adviser, in a nighttime raid early Thursday local time in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
The special forces captured Barzan, the five of clubs in the deck of playing cards of most wanted Iraqi leaders, with no casualties after being tipped off by Iraqi sources.
RealAudio: Thursday's Central Command briefing
April 16, 2003, 11:40 AM EDT
Syria Pledges Cooperation, U.S. Says No Plans for War
The Syrian government Wednesday pledged to work with the U.S. to help Iraqis, but added it would not close down Palestinian militant groups. The statement comes after Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday that the United States had no plans to attack Syria.
April 16, 2003, 10:10 AM EDT
Palestinian Terrorist Captured in Baghdad
U.S. forces captured the leader of a Palestinian terror group accused of masterminding the 1985 hijacking of the Italian Achille Lauro cruise ship, during which an American was murdered.
April 16, 2003, 9:10 AM EDT
Clash in Mosul Leaves at Least Seven Iraqis Dead
A violent clash between thousands of Iraqis and U.S. Marines and Special Forces left at least seven Iraqis dead and some 16 wounded in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, Central Command reported Wednesday.
RealAudio: Wednesday's Central Command briefing
April 15, 2003, 9:25 PM EDT
Iraqi Groups Discuss Postwar Government
In the wake of the Pentagon’s announcement that major combat fighting in Iraq is over, representatives from several different Iraqi groups gathered south of Baghdad on Tuesday for a United States-sponsored meeting to discuss how to govern the country now that Saddam Hussein's regime is gone.
Update: Representatives of Iraqi groups meet in Ur.
RealAudio: President Bush discusses the economy and Iraq
RealAudio: Tuesday's Central Command briefing
April 15, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
The Media's War
CNN's chief news executive Eason Jordan and the New Republic's Franklin Foer discuss CNN's coverage of Iraq before the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.
April 15, 2003, 2:20 PM EDT
UNESCO Announces Iraq Mission
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization said Tuesday it was sending a team of experts to Iraq to assess the damage that looting has caused to the country's vast collection of priceless antiquities.
April 15, 2003
Two Journalists Die in Car Accident Near Baghdad
Update: Two journalists from the Argentine television station America TV were killed in a car crash while traveling to Baghdad.
April 14, 2003, 11:00 PM EDT
U.S. Increases Diplomatic Pressure on Syria
The U.S. has warned Syria not to harbor Iraqi leaders or develop weapons of mass destruction, two charges Syria denies.
Update: U.S. to Consider Measures Against Syria, Powell Says
April 14, 2003, 10:40 PM EDT
World Bank Chief Weighs Iraqi Reconstruction Effort
Even as American military officials were saying that the major combat in Iraq was over, international financial and humanitarian agencies were meeting in Washington to discuss efforts to rebuild the shattered Iraqi nation.
James Wolfensohn, the head of the World Bank, discusses the initial plans and what is known of the Iraqi economy in an interview with Jim Lehrer.
April 14, 2003, 7:50 PM EDT
"Major" Combat Operations Over in Iraq
With the capture of Saddam Hussein's hometown and center of power, Tikrit, American military officials said Monday that the large-scale combat in Iraq had come to an end.
RealAudio: Monday's Defense Department briefing
April 14, 2003, 3:20 PM EDT
U.S. Forces Push Into Central Tikrit
U.S. ground forces swarmed the city of Tikrit Monday, backed by warplanes and attack helicopters as they worked to rout resistance in Saddam Hussein's ancestral home, believed to be the last major stronghold of regime supporters.
Text: Monday's Central Command briefing
RealAudio: Military analysts assess the drive for Tikrit.
Update: Coalition Enters Tikrit, Meets Scattered Resistance
April 14, 2003, 2:20 PM EDT
U.S. to Consider Measures Against Syria, Powell Says
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that the U.S. will consider taking diplomatic or economic measures against Syria, citing concerns that the country has participated in chemical weapons development and is harboring members of Saddam Hussein's regime.
April 14, 2003, 11:35 AM EDT
Coalition Troops, Iraqi Police Patrol Baghdad
As looting begins to slow, Iraqi police and U.S. troops jointly patrolled Baghdad to put an end to the civil disorder that has enveloped the city since the end of Saddam’s leadership.
April 14, 2003, 10:01 AM EDT
Siege of Cleric's Home Ends in Najaf
An armed siege of the home of a Shiite Muslim spiritual leader in the southern Iraqi city of Najaf has ended and tribal leaders are now in control of the city, an aide to Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani said on Monday.
April 13, 2003, 10:45 PM EDT
Coalition Enters Tikrit, Meets Scattered Resistance
U.S. forces have met some resistance from Iraqi fighters as they push into Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, the last major city not yet controlled by the coalition.
RealAudio: Military analysts assess the drive for Tikrit.
April 13, 2003, 10:25 PM EDT
Arabs, Middle Eastern Governments Consider Collapse of Saddam Regime
Arabs throughout the Middle East continue to express shock at the sudden collapse of the Saddam Hussein regime and the ease with which American forces entered Baghdad. Two regional experts assess how the Iraqi defeat is affecting Arab self-image and the view of the U.S.
RealAudio: Simon Marks reports from Jordan on the reaction to the sudden fall of Baghdad and the looting throughout Iraq.
April 13, 2003, 4:25 PM EDT
U.S. Officials Warn Syria Not to Harbor Iraqi Leaders
President Bush and other senior U.S. officials called on Syria Sunday not to obstruct the coalition military efforts by taking in fleeing Iraqi officials.
RealAudio: President Bush remarks on the rescue, calls for cooperation from Syria.
April 13, 2003, 1:25 PM EDT
Seven American POWs Found Near Tikrit
United States Marines found seven soldiers captured as prisoners of war alive and safe on the road between Baghdad and Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, U.S. Central Command said Sunday.
The soldiers include Apache helicopter pilots and Army Chief Warrant Officers David Williams and Ronald Young Jr. (pictured left), as well as Sgt. James Riley, Spc. Shoshana Johnson, Pfc. Patrick Miller, Spc. Joseph Hudson, and Spc. Edgar Hernandez of the 507th Maintenance Company, Central Command said in a statement.
RealAudio: President Bush remarks on the rescue, calls for cooperation from Syria.
April 12, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
Home Front: Businesses Benefiting From War
Spencer Michels reports on some of the technology companies that have high-tech tools in the field that may mean big bucks on the home front.
April 12, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
After the War: The U.N.'s Role
The leaders of France, Russia and Germany repeated their call that the United Nations take the lead in the rebuilding of Iraq, but the U.S. has maintained the coalition ought to take the lead. William Luers, president of the United Nations Association, and Randy Scheunemann, president of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, takes up the debate with Jim Lehrer.
A Baghdad Report Ray Suarez talks with Simon Robinson of Time magazine about the efforts to bring peace to Baghdad and the first glimmers of life moving on in the Iraqi capital.
April 12, 2003, 3:44 PM EDT
Evidence Suggests High Threat of Suicide Attacks
U.S. Marines discovered a stockpile of explosive-packed vests in a Baghdad elementary school Thursday, indicating the risk of suicide attacks in the Iraqi capital remains high.
April 12, 2003, 2:24 PM EDT
G-7 Endorses New U.N. Resolution to Aid Iraq
Finance officials from the seven richest industrial countries agreed Saturday to support a new United Nations Security Council resolution as part of a global effort to rebuild Iraq.
April 12, 2003, 1:01 PM EDT
Looting Continues in Baghdad, Iraqis Demand More Security
The Iraqi National Museum became the latest target of looting in Baghdad on Saturday, with treasures dating back thousands of years ending up in the hands of crowds of looters, museum officials said.
Text: Saturday's Central Command briefing
Analysis: The work of restoring order in Iraq.
April 12, 2003, 12:25 PM EDT
Battle For Tikrit Awaits U.S. Forces
The U.S. military cautioned Saturday that taking Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit will not necessarily end the war in Iraq, but according to an article in The Washington Post, the lack of Iraqi defensive preparations in the city may make that effort easier than previously thought.
April 12, 2003, 11:26 AM EDT
U.S. Strengthens Hold on N. Iraq in Bid to Calm Turkey
Easing Turkey's fears that Kurds would retain control of Northern Iraq, the U.S. military worked to strengthen its hold on Mosul and Kirkuk Saturday as Kurdish fighters said they would withdraw the remainder of their forces in Kirkuk by the day's end.
April 11, 2003, 9:30 PM EDT
Political Analysis of Iraq War and its Consequences
NewsHour regulars, syndicated columnist Mark Shields and The Weekly Standard's David Brooks, discuss the week's powerful war images and the political futures of antiwar presidential hopefuls.
April 11, 2003, 9:22 PM EDT
Securing the Peace
Margaret Warner and military experts discuss criticism of the coalition's plan to secure the peace and the steps needed to restore order to the region.
April 11, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
Combat Injuries
President Bush visited some of those wounded in the war who are being treated in the Washington, D.C., area. Susan Dentzer reports on care for the wounded.
April 11, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
Days of Disorder
Margaret Warner discusses the civil disorder in Iraq with James Dobbins, who helped install the post-Taliban government as the Bush administration's envoy to Afghanistan; retired Army Major General Dave Meade, who commanded the 10th Mountain Division that went into Haiti in 1993; and Eugene Fidell, the founder and president of the National Institute for Military Justice.
April 11, 2003, 3:22 PM EDT
Mosul Falls Amid Mass Iraqi Surrender
The northern city of Mosul fell to coalition and Kurdish forces apparently without a fight early Friday following the surrender of an entire corps of the Iraqi military.
As residents poured into the streets, many of Mosul's schools and government offices were either stripped of furniture and other resources or set ablaze, press reports said.
Friday's Briefings: Defense Dept. | CentCom (In RealAudio)
Update: U.S. Kurdish Forces Move Into Mosul
April 11, 2003, 12:06 PM EDT
Baghdad Hospital System Crumbling, Agency Says
The growing sense of chaos in Baghdad has essentially shut down the city's hospitals, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday.
April 11, 2003, 9:32 AM EDT
Marines Open Fire on Car Carrying Civilians
Following a suicide bombing Thursday in which five servicemen were wounded, two civilians were killed and nine were wounded when Marines opened fire on a car that failed to stop at a checkpoint Friday.
Update: Four Marines Wounded in Suicide Attack
April 10, 2003, 10:08 PM EDT
Iraqis, Coalition Focus on Creating an Interim Administration
As coalition forces continued to focus on military action against remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime, looting spread in areas of Baghdad and the northern city of Kirkuk. The chaotic situation has made the need for an interim administration more pressing.
Margaret Warner discusses the future government with Iraqis who have long worked to bring about democratic change in Iraq.
April 10, 2003, 9:20 PM EDT
U.S., Kurdish Forces Move into Mosul
With signs of large-scale Iraqi surrenders in the region, U.S. special forces troops and Kurdish soldiers entered Iraq's third largest city Thursday, according to American Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
April 10, 2003, 8:26 PM EDT
Looting, Clashes Mark Uneasy Day in Baghdad
As battles continue to flare in Baghdad's outskirts and looters run amok for a second day, U.S. forces in Iraq are faced with the feat of attempting to create order. John Daniszewski of the Los Angeles Times provides an update on the situation in Baghdad.
Update: Marines Battle Pro-Saddam Forces in Baghdad
April 10, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
Hopes and Fears
Elizabeth Brackett of WTTW Chicago gauges Iraqi-American reaction to the recent images of a liberated Baghdad.
April 10, 2003, 5:50 PM EDT
Four Marines Wounded in Baghdad Suicide Attack
A suicide bomber seriously wounded four U.S. Marines at a military checkpoint in central Baghdad on Thursday night, according to military officials and journalists in the Iraqi capital.
April 10, 2003, 5:48 PM EDT
U.S. Forces Focus On Northern Iraq, Help Secure Kirkuk
Kurdish soldiers and American forces met with little resistance from Saddam Hussein loyalists as they poured into Iraq's northern oil city Kirkuk Thursday. The Turkish government expressed concern that the city not come under permanent Kurdish control and said it would send observers to the area.
RealAudio: Thursday's Pentagon Briefing
RealAudio: Thursday's CentCom Briefing
April 10, 2003, 4:26 PM EDT
Shiite Muslim Leader Assassinated in Najaf
A prominent exiled Shiite Muslim leader who had just returned to Iraq was reportedly hacked to death by a mob while meeting Thursday with other clerics at a Najaf mosque. April 10, 2003, 12:03 PM EDT
President Bush Addresses Iraqi People
The U.S. president and the British prime minister launched a media campaign in Iraq on Thursday with an address televised across the war-torn nation during which Mr. Bush assured Iraqis that "the government of Iraq and the future of your country will soon belong to you."
April 9, 2003, 10:15 PM EDT
Coalition Says Iraqi Regime Has Lost Control of Baghdad
Saddam Hussein's government appeared to lose control of Baghdad on Wednesday, as celebrations and looting spread across parts of the city with no apparent sign of regime officials.
Update: Iraq's U.N. ambassador says the "game is over," but coalition officials say the fight in Iraq goes on.
RealAudio: Wednesday's Pentagon Briefing
RealAudio: Vice President Dick Cheney on the War
RealAudio: Wednesday's Central Command Briefing
April 9, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
After Saddam, An Uncertain Future
Los Angeles Times reporter John Daniszewski on the jubilation and fear in Baghdad as Iraqis marked the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime.
April 9, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
Red Cross Suspends Operations in Baghdad
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Wednesday it was suspending operations in Baghdad because the city was too unstable to ensure its staff's safety.
Update: The ICRC says it's pulling out of Iraq.
April 8, 2003, 10:41 PM EDT
Airmen Missing After F-15 Goes Down
Two U.S. airmen were listed as missing in action after their F-15E warplane went down in Iraq Sunday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement Tuesday.
April 8, 2003, 9:15 PM EDT
U.S. Bombing Devastates Iraqi "Leadership Target"
U.S. Forces dropped four 2,000-pound bombs on a building where high-ranking members of the Iraqi leadership were said to be meeting.
Update: The bombing and its aftermath
RealAudio: Tuesday's Central Command Briefing
April 8, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
War Images
Terence Smith speaks with two Time photographers covering Iraq: Robert Nickelsberg, a veteran war photographer embedded with the 1st Marine Division, and Kate Brooks, who is working in northern Iraq.
April 8, 2003, 8:50 PM EDT
President, Blair Say U.N. to Have "Vital" Role in Iraq
President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair say the United Nations would have a "vital" role in postwar Iraq and that control of a new government would be turned over to the Iraqi people as soon as possible.
Update: The two leaders discuss Iraq's future
April 8, 2003, 4:35 PM EDT
Three Reporters Killed in Baghdad
Update: Three journalists were killed in Baghdad Tuesday, including an incident in which a U.S. tank fired at a hotel housing hundreds of international reporters.
April 8, 2003, 2:35 PM EDT
U.S. Tightens Grip on Baghdad, Hits Ministries
U.S. forces in the center of Baghdad repelled an Iraqi counterattack Tuesday after dawn local time before moving out to expand the areas under its control.
April 8, 2003, 8:46 AM EDT
U.S. Bombing Devastates Iraqi "Leadership Target"
U.S. forces targeted the Iraqi leadership Monday, dropping four 2,000-pound bombs on a building where high-ranking members of the regime were meeting. Reports indicated President Saddam Hussein and his sons may have been there, but officials said it would take time to confirm who was killed or injured.
RealAudio: Tuesday's Central Command Briefing
April 8, 2003, 8:45 AM EDT
Ground Attack Fighter Shot Down Near Baghdad
An A-10 "Warthog" low-flying fighter jet was apparently shot down by Iraqi surface-to-air fire and crashed near the airport southwest of Baghdad early Tuesday local time. The pilot reportedly ejected safely and was retrieved by coalition forces.
April 7, 2003, 9:00 PM EDT
Assessing the War's Progress
In the wake of British troops entering the heart of the southern Iraqi city of Basra and U.S. troops seizing key sites in Baghdad, military experts assess the progress of the war in Iraq on day 20 of the campaign.
April 7, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
Past and Present
Jeffrey Brown reports on Iraq's history of war and how its legacy effects the battlefield.
April 7, 2003, 4:09 PM EDT
Two Reporters Killed in Iraqi Missile Strike Near Baghdad
Update: Two reporters from Spanish and German news publications were killed after an Iraqi rocket hit a U.S. communications center in the southern outskirts of Baghdad.
April 7, 2003, 4:00 PM EDT
Initial Tests Indicate Chemical Weapons in Iraq
Coalition forces may have found a chemical weapons cache at an Iraqi training facility, but further tests are needed to conclusively determine whether the materials are banned weapons of mass destruction.
April 7, 2003, 1:46 PM EDT
British Troops Enter Heart of Southern City of Basra
Nearly 700 British and U.S. soldiers on Monday walked into the center of Basra, receiving a warm response from its residents, after securing most of Iraq's second largest city.
April 7, 2003, 12:46 PM EDT
U.S. Forces Launch Large-Scale Armored Raid on Baghdad
More than 100 armored personnel carriers and tanks entered central Baghdad after dawn Monday local time, seizing key sites in the heart of the Iraqi capital. By nightfall, some three battalions of U.S. troops remained in the center of the city.
April 7, 2003, 11:50 AM EDT
Rocket Attack Hits Assault HQ, at Least Four Killed
A rocket attack on a brigade communications headquarters orchestrating Monday's assault on central Baghdad killed two American soldiers and two journalists, according to witnesses. Military officials at the scene said 15 others were wounded or are missing.
April 7, 2003, 10:15 AM EDT
Officials Investigate Attack on Russian Convoy
National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, in Moscow to discuss the war in Iraq, met with Russian officials Monday to allay concerns following a Sunday attack on a Russian diplomatic convoy as it attempted to leave the war zone.
April 7, 2003, 9:45 AM EDT
"Chemical Ali" Likely Dead, British Say
British Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon said on Monday there were strong indications that Ali Hassan al-Majid, a top Iraqi general known as "Chemical Ali," was killed by an air raid on his home in Basra.
April 6, 2003, 10:15 PM EDT
U.S. Officials Weigh Postwar Reconstruction Plans
Amid some Arab and Iraqi skepticism, U.S. officials and international leaders continue to plan for a post-Saddam Hussein interim government and reconstruction process.
Update: Officials Plan Transition to Iraqi Self-Rule
Profile: The Iraqi National Congress
April 6, 2003, 9:01 PM EDT
British Forces Take Parts of Basra
Coalition forces mounted a multiple-pronged thrust into Basra Sunday, an operation British officials say allowed their troops to secure large portions of Iraq's second-largest city.
April 6, 2003, 8:45 PM EDT
U.S. Forces Surround Baghdad
U.S. troops completely surrounded Baghdad and continued to make forays into the city center Sunday as artillery batteries and coalition bombers pounded Iraqi forces.
RealAudio: The LA Times' John Daniszewski reports from the Iraqi capital.
April 6, 2003, 6:00 PM EST
The Veterans' View of the Return to Iraq
Spencer Michels reports from Sacramento on how the Iraq war is affecting veterans.
April 6, 2003, 6:00 PM EDT
A Different Language
Terence Smith looks at how the Arab media is covering the war.
April 6, 2003, 3:36 PM EDT
"Friendly Fire" Hits U.S.-Kurdish Forces
A U.S. warplane bombed a convoy of American special forces and Kurdish fighters Northern Iraq in a "friendly fire" incident on Sunday that killed several soldiers.
April 6, 2003, 10:10 AM EDT
Russian Diplomatic Convoy Attacked in Iraq
A convoy of vehicles carrying the Russian ambassador to Iraq and several other diplomats came under fire Sunday as the envoys evacuated Baghdad. Coalition forces said the strike occurred in Iraqi-controlled territory.
April 5, 2003, 9:30 PM EST
U.S. Forces Enter Baghdad, Probe Defenses
Explosions continued to rattle Baghdad early Sunday local time, hours after U.S. forces swept through the center of the Iraqi capital. Three military analysts examine what troops' entry into Baghdad means for the larger operation in Iraq.
Update: Coalition Troops Plow Into Iraqi Capital
Saturday's Briefings: CentCom (In RealAudio)
April 5, 2003, 8:55 PM EST
Coalition Offers Aid in Iraq's Southern Cities
RealAudio: After chaotic early efforts, coalition troops distribute food, water and other humanitarian aid in some of Iraq's hard-hit southern cities.
April 5, 2003, 12:45 PM EST
Fighting Continues in Central City of Karbala
U.S. troops faced fierce street-to-street fighting in the central Iraqi city of Karbala Saturday as they tried to secure the rear flank of forces advancing on Baghdad.
April 5, 2003, 11:10 AM EST
Coalition Identifies U.S. Soldiers Killed in Nasiriya
American officials announced that nine of the bodies discovered during the operation to rescue Pfc. Jessica Lynch in Nasiriya were those of U.S. soldiers killed in fighting near the southern Iraqi city.
April 5, 2003, 8:10 AM EST
Two Marines Killed in Helicopter Crash
As fighting continued throughout central Iraq, two U.S. Marines were killed in a helicopter gunship crash Saturday, U.S. Central Command reported.
April 4, 2003, 9:35 PM EST
Coalition Secures Airport, Forces Poise on Baghdad's Edge
U.S. military officials said coalition forces had seized control of Baghdad's main airport Friday, a key development in the campaign to topple Saddam Hussein's regime. Mark Shields and David Brooks reflect on the war's progress.
RealAudio: Former military officials analyze coalition strategy
Update: Coalition Secures Airport, Prepares For Baghdad
Friday's Briefings: Defense Dept. | CentCom (In RealAudio)
April 4, 2003, 9:20 PM EST
Smoke, Power Outages Darken Baghdad
John Daniszewski of The Los Angeles Times reports on the state of life in Baghdad, saying officials have begun to ration running water and that few civilians are venturing out on the streets.
April 4, 2003, 5:45 PM EST
President Bush, Blair to Discuss Iraq War, Rebuilding
President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss the progress of the war in Iraq and the next steps should coalition forces remove Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power.
April 4, 2003, 5:05 PM EST
Washington Post Columnist Kelly Killed in Iraq
Update: Washington Post columnist Michael Kelly was killed Thursday night while on assignment with the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division as it moved toward Baghdad.
April 4, 2003, 4:50 PM EST
NBC Reporter Bloom Dies in Iraq
Update: NBC reporter David Bloom, who provided around-the-clock reports from Iraq, dies of an apparent pulmonary embolism.
April 4, 2003, 4:05 PM EST
Al Jazeera Reporters Continue Work in Iraq
Update: Correspondents for the Al Jazeera network continued their work in Iraq after Iraqi officials reversed an order barring two of them from reporting in Baghdad.
April 4, 2003, 2:05 PM EST
Saddam Urges Iraqis to Repel Coalition Forces
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein delivered an unannounced speech on Iraqi television Friday that analysts say provides the most compelling evidence yet that the leader may still be alive.
April 4, 2003, 9:53 AM EST
Car Bomb Kills Five at Checkpoint Near Baghdad
A civilian vehicle exploded at a special operations military checkpoint in Iraq late Thursday, killing
three coalition soldiers, a pregnant Iraqi woman and the driver
of the vehicle in what appeared to be another suicide bombing
aimed at U.S.-led forces.
April
4, 2003, 9:50 AM EST
U.S.
Troops Discover "Suspicious" Weapons Sites
U.S. troops uncovered two sites near
Baghdad containing unidentified liquid and white powder, an officer
told reporters Friday, however, an official in Washington said
initial testing suggested explosive materials rather than chemical
weapons.
April
3, 2003, 10:00 PM EST
The
Uncertainties of War Weigh on the Markets
Paul Solman
looks at how the war in Iraq is impacting the U.S. economy and how the
"fog of war" is making life difficult on Wall Street.
April
3, 2003, 9:40 PM EST
U.S.
Forces Press Towards Baghdad
Coalition
forces continued their thrust toward the Iraqi capital, reportedly
taking control of Saddam Hussein International Airport 10 miles
from downtown Baghdad. The fighting came only hours after the
power went out in to the city of five million. Military experts
assess the coming battle for Baghdad.
Update:
U.S. Forces Take Baghdad Airport, City Power Out
RealAudio:
Thursday's Pentagon briefing
RealAudio:
Thursday's CentCom briefing
April
3, 2003, 5:35 PM EST
Powell
Says Coalition Must Lead Iraq Reconstruction
Secretary of State Colin
Powell said Thursday the U.S. and Britain must take the lead role in Iraq's post-war
rebuilding, but there would also be roles for both the U.N. and NATO.
RealAudio:
Secretary Powell speaks with the press
April
3, 2003, 4:30 PM EST
Al
Jazeera Reporters Banned from Baghdad
Update:
Al Jazeera announced it would scale back its news operations in Iraq after the
Iraqi government barred two of its journalists from working in Baghdad.
April
3, 2003, 10:15 AM EST
U.S.
Investigating Crash of Fighter Jet
The U.S. military is investigating the possibility that an
American Patriot missile hit a U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jet over
Iraq, U.S. defense officials said Thursday.
April
3, 2003, 10:00 AM EST
Black
Hawk Helicopter Crashes
U.S. military officials confirmed that a U.S. Army Black Hawk
helicopter crashed early Thursday near the central city of Karbala,
but was probably not hit by enemy fire. Initial reports from the
Pentagon said as many as seven soldiers died and four were injured.
April
3, 2003, 9:40 AM EST
Rapid
Coalition Movement Towards Baghdad
U.S. troops surrounded Saddam International airport about
six miles from Baghdad Thursday and were massing at the "gateways"
of the city, according to U.S. military officials and reporters
traveling with coalition forces.
April
2, 2003, 10:45 PM EST
Coalition
Troops Cross "Red Line" Surrounding Baghdad
U.S. troops entered the "red
zone" within 20 miles of Baghdad, advancing past the city of Karbala
and completing key crossings of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Military experts assess the strategies and pitfalls in a final
push toward Baghdad.
Update:
U.S. Troops Can See Baghdad Skyline
RealAudio:
Wednesday's CentCom briefing from Qatar
April
2, 2003, 9:05 PM EST
U.S.
Accuses Iraq of Using Mosque as Military Base
U.S.
forces in the central city of Najaf have reportedly come under
Iraqi fire from the Ali Mosque, one of the most sacred Shiite
Muslim sites in the world.
April
2, 2003, 8:30 PM EST
Russia
Protests Bombing Near Baghdad Embassy
Russia criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq
Wednesday, accusing the coalition of bombing targets very near its embassy in
Baghdad and threatening the Russian citizens still working there.
April 2, 2003, 8:00 PM EST
Rescue
Mission
U.S. special operations forces rescued
prisoner of war Jessica Lynch from a hospital in Nasiriyah Tuesday. Ray Suarez reports with more on the mission.
April
2, 2003, 7:35 PM EST
BBC
Cameraman Killed in Northern Iraq
Update: Kaveh Golestan, a Pulitzer-Prize winning photojournalist and BBC freelance
cameraman, was killed in northern Iraq after stepping on a land mine.
April
2, 2003, 7:05 PM EST
U.S.
Keeps Supply Lines Running
Despite
early reports of limited food and gasoline for forward units,
coalition logistics teams are continuing to pour supplies into
Iraq. Tom Bearden reports
on the complicated and critical task of getting those supplies
deep into enemy territory.
April
2, 2003, 1:30 PM EST
Turkey
Allows U.S. to Ship Supplies to Northern Iraq
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said
the United States reached an agreement with Turkey on Wednesday allowing the coalition
to send supplies through Turkish territory to troops in neighboring Iraq.
April
2, 2003, 9:05 AM EST
Coalition
Rescues U.S. POW
Coalition troops free a U.S. prisoner
of war, identified as 19-year-old Pfc. Jessica Lynch, one of the
soldiers missing since a March 23 ambush near Nasiriya.
April
1, 2003, 8:35 PM EST
Embedded
War Stories
Examining
how the Pentagon's "embedded" media program has changed coverage of the Iraq war.
Media experts assess the strengths and weaknesses of war coverage by embedded
journalists.
April
1, 2003, 5:28 PM EST
Rules
of Engagement
Jim Lehrer discusses the latest military
moves in Iraq with retired Colonel W. Patrick Lang, a Middle East
analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency during the Gulf War,
retired Marine Corps Colonel Gary Anderson, an urban combat operations
specialist, and Eliot Cohen, Professor of Strategic Studies at
the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins
University and a member of the Defense Policy Board.
April
1, 2003, 12:52 PM EST
Iraqi
Minister Delivers Defiant Message From Saddam
In a statement read on Iraqi state television,
president Saddam Hussein called on the Iraqi people to commit
themselves to a holy war against U.S. and British forces seeking
his ouster.
Information
Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf (pictured left) delivered the
proclamation in a short address at 8 p.m. local time (noon EST).
The statement accused the coalition forces of waging a war against
Islam in addition to Saddam's regime.
April
1, 2003, 12:30 PM EST
Secretary
Powell Visits Turkey, Meets With EU
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell traveled
to Turkey Tuesday in an effort to mend diplomatic relations between the United
States and Europe, which have soured over the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
April
1, 2003, 11:45 AM EST
Coalition
Checkpoint Rules Remain Despite Accidents
Officials at U.S. Central
Command said checkpoint procedures will not change despite incidents
at military checkpoints that resulted in the deaths of at least
seven women and children.
RealAudio:
Tuesday's CentCom briefing
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