Charles Recknagel is standards editor for RFE/RL.
Muqtada al-Sadr (file photo) There are increasing signs that radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is evolving from an outlaw into a possibly influential politician. The cleric today ordered most of his armed supporters out of the southern Iraqi city of Al-Najaf. The possible end to the standoff in the Shi'a shrine city comes as Washington said yesterday it would not block a political role for al-Sadr in the future.
Plans for putting Saddam Hussein on trial are advancing as Iraq's prime minister says the United States will hand over the former leader to Baghdad within two weeks. But many questions about the trial remain, including when it will be held, how the Iraqi government will ensure security, and whether the proceedings will be internationally monitored to guarantee fairness.
Insurgents have attacked the Iraqi security force entrusted with keeping the peace in Al-Fallujah. The attack is surprising because the security force already includes some insurgents in its own ranks as part of the deal to end fighting with U.S. troops two months ago.
The United Nations has unanimously approved a resolution endorsing the upcoming U.S. handover of power to a sovereign Iraqi government. But will the transfer of sovereignty help to quell Iraqi insurgencies?
Al-Mahdi Army fighters (file photo) Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi says almost all of the country's powerful militias have agreed to disarm and that their members will either go into state-controlled security services or return to civilian life. If fully implemented, the deal could mark a major step forward for efforts to rebuild Iraq as a civil society.
There are signs of progress toward ending the uprising by supporters of radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Al-Najaf even as the current truce there is repeatedly broken. Shi'a religious and political parties appear close to a new deal with al-Sadr that could see his supporters and U.S. forces withdraw from the shrine city soon.
The new prime minister, Iyad Allawi Iraq's new leaders have formed a government that includes new heads for many ministries. But like the president and prime minister, those in charge of the most powerful ministries are people closely linked to the outgoing U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council.
Differences appear to have broken out between the United States and Britain over how much political control a sovereign Iraqi government should have over foreign troops. British Prime Minister Tony Blair says sovereignty means foreign troops would need the Iraqi government's consent to launch attacks against insurgents in towns such as Al-Fallujah. But top U.S. officials say American troops must retain the authority to take actions to ensure security and defend themselves.
Shortly after the fall of Saddam Hussein, RFE/RL visited a school in Baghdad to learn how its teachers and students viewed the events. Now, as Iraq prepares for a sovereign post-Saddam government on 30 June, we returned to the school to ask again how much, or how little, life has changed.
The United States already has invested billions of dollars in Iraq's reconstruction and allocated many times that amount for future work. But the pace of change in Iraq has been fitful.
The assassination of the head of the Iraqi Governing Council has focused new attention on a body that is often said to have limited powers and popularity. How significant is the U.S.-appointed council, and why was it singled out for attack by insurgents now, just weeks before it is due to be dissolved?
(file photo) The Pentagon yesterday acknowledged that some of the abuse of Iraqis at Baghdad's Abu Ghurayb prison was in violation of the Geneva Conventions. The acknowledgement adds fuel to a growing debate in the United States over the extent to which the U.S. administration has loosened observance of the Geneva Conventions to pursue terrorists and whether that may have confused operating procedures in Iraq.
Abuse in Iraqi prisons by U.S. forces The challenges in Iraq for the U.S. administration have never been greater. Among the toughest are coping with a crisis of confidence generated by the photos of abuse of Iraqi prisoners and quelling the insurgency of radical Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
The beheading of a U.S. civilian by a group with suspected ties to Al-Qaeda is the latest shocking image to emerge from Iraq. The group claims to have executed its captive in response to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghurayb by some U.S. soldiers. But the group also appears to be hoping that the graphic videotape will fan anger at Washington even as it revolts the public.
The United States is stepping up military pressure on Muqtada al-Sadr, including destroying his headquarters in Baghdad. The moves against al-Sadr and his militia come as mainstream Shi'a religious leaders appear to be exasperated with the radical cleric and might be ready to isolate him politically.
The scandal over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by some U.S. soldiers continues to grow. There are new suggestions that Washington may have known about such incidents months ago, but did not take remedial action. Today, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is due to answer questions before the U.S. Congress as some opposition lawmakers demand he be fired for irresponsibility.
Aid groups say Sudan faces a humanitarian crisis as fighting in the west of the country continues to displace hundreds of thousands of people. The situation is prompting new world attention to events in the African nation.
The U.S. military has dropped its plans to appoint a former Republican Guard general to head an Iraqi security force for Al-Fallujah, opting instead for a formerly exiled intelligence officer. But the circumstances surrounding the last-minute change are unclear -- as are the odds the new candidate will be able to end the Al-Fallujah crisis.
Fighters for al-Sadr There are mixed reports from Al-Fallujah today, with U.S. troops pulling back from some areas amid signs a new security deal may have been struck with local leaders. The latest developments come as U.S. forces in Iraq have suffered their costliest month ever, with more soldiers killed in April than during the invasion a year ago.
A year after U.S. President George W. Bush declared major combat over in Iraq, it is clear that ousting Saddam was easier than administering the occupied country. The second part of a two-part series looks at how U.S. policy is evolving as it searches for new approaches to establishing a democratic Iraq.
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