A surprising development has emerged in this city's streets and its corridors of power – the United States and its 140,000 troops have become increasingly irrelevant. Some Iraqi officials see the passage of a landmark agreement with the US last week as the beginning of a new era – one in which the US presence has become overshadowed and American military power is replaced by Iraqi political power. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The US more cautious in Iraq appraisals as elections draw near. Uncertainty about what those provincial elections will bring is one reason US officials have lately been so cautious about their assessments of Iraq's future, despite six months of improved security and other positive signs there. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The House approved a provision that would appropriate $162.5 billion to pay Iraq-Afghanistan war costs well into 2009. Now before the Senate, the bill prohibits the construction of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq and requires the Iraqi government to match U.S.-taxpayer funding of Iraq reconstruction projects. See vote

The House defeated a provision which sought to appropriate $162.5 billion for additional war costs in Iraq and Afghanistan. See vote

An agreement the United States is negotiating with Iraq on the conditions for the long-term stationing of American forces there is under fire from national legislative leaders in both countries. See story from Christian Science Monitor

On his second trip to Israel, President Bush will address the issue of settlement building and try to push for progress on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Sixty roadblocks have been removed in the Palestinian territory, but critics say that isn't enough to improve life in the West Bank. See story from Christian Science Monitor

In a report, 39 soldiers give eyewitness accounts from their patrols in and around the West Bank city of Hebron regarding abuse of Palestinians. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The super-large new USA embassy in Baghdad is an embarrassment to Iraqi citizens who view it as a monument of the occupation. See story from Christian Science Monitor

In E.U., hope dims for Iraqi refugees as Sweden, Europe's most generous host, is scaling back to ease strains on its welfare system. One town alone has accepted more Iraqis than the US since 2003. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The US maintains that the Al-Queda in Iraq organization is in disarray based on papers discovered from a slain leader. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The US and Iraq are beginning to hammer out a security accord that will define their relationship for years to come, but it probably won't resemble the postwar agreements that have left thousands of American troops in places like Japan, Germany, or South Korea. See story from Christian Science Monitor

In its year-end report issued on New Year's Eve, the leading Israeli human rights group B'tselem said that the numbers of Palestinians and Israelis killed in clashes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip has dropped dramatically, but that other human rights abuses persist. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Signs of political reconciliation are emerging in Iraq, raising US hopes that a logjam has broken. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Baghdad is now safer but the overwhelming security is stifling businesses and any attempt at creating a normal city environment .  See story from Christian Science Monitor

The House passed a bill that paired $50 billion in war spending with a nonbinding call to pull most U.S. troops from Iraq by Dec. 15, 2008.  See vote  The Senate could not amass the 60 votes necessary to advance this measure.  See vote

After six years of relegating a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to secondary status, the Bush administration – led by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and prodded by regional actors ranging from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Jordan's King Abdullah – appears ready to try to give new life to a peace process process. The change comes as the split between the Palestinians of Mr. Abbas's Fatah organization in the West Bank and those in Hamas-controlled Gaza hardens – unexpectedly giving Israel a "partner" in the West Bank with which to test the negotiating waters.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

With little fanfare, at least so far, the stage is being set for a post-"surge" Iraq strategy that reduces US ambitions for the Iraq project, even while keeping some US forces there for years to come.  No decisions have yet been made, and administration officials insist the current strategy that has pumped an additional 30,000 troops into Iraq still must be given time to work. But the contours of a new approach floating around Washington suggest a drawing down of the 160,000 US forces there beginning as early as the end of this year. The thousands that remain would be refocused on training Iraqi security forces and on a long fight against Al Qaeda.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

The House passed and sent to the Senate a bill to release $96 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan war funding in two steps. About $43 billion would be provided immediately and $53 billion in July if President Bush certifies Iraq has met certain benchmarks.  See vote    Subsequently, Congress modifications which provides $96 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan war appropriations through Sept. 30. The bill specifies political, security and economic benchmarks on which the Iraqi government must show progress.    See House vote  See Senate vote

The House rejected a bill that would have required President Bush to start withdrawing U.S. troops and contractors from Iraq within 90 days of enactment and complete the pullout of all but a residual force within the following 180 days.  See vote

To avoid veto on the earlier measures, the House passed  a bill to release $96 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan war funding in two steps. About $43 billion would be provided immediately and $53 billion in July if President Bush certifies Iraq has met certain benchmarks.  See vote

Congress approved a measure that requires a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq to start by Oct. 1, but sets no date for completing the pullout of all but a residual force. The bill appropriates about $90 billion through September for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; $5.1 billion for military health care, including veterans' care; $3.1 billion for base closures; and $1.7 billion for military construction. The bill also provides nearly $25 billion for domestic programs.    See House vote  See Senate vote  This followed an earlier House vote requiring a March 1, 2008, start for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.  See vote

The White House search for a "war czar" caps a lengthy reshuffle that has placed pragmatists and critics of the Bush administration's early moves in Iraq in charge of managing a war that the U.S. feels it can't quit but can't quite win.  See story from Associated Press

Is Baghdad safer? Yes and no.  Although sections of the city remain war zones – and attacks are up outside Baghdad – there are pockets of relative calm emerging. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The semi-official U.S. think tank, Rand Corporation, suggests creation of networks of the so-called moderate Muslims to promote US policy objectives in the Muslim World.  In its latest report, titled "Building Moderate Muslim Networks" the Rand Corp advocates that the building of moderate Muslim networks needs to become an explicit goal of the U.S. government policy, with an international database of partners and a well-designed plan. See story from Milli Gazette

Public support of the Iraq war continues to slide.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

The Senate passed, 51-47, a bill to appropriate $96 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over six months, $4.3 billion for veterans' care, and $19 billion for domestic programs. The bill requires the administration to begin U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq within four months of enactment and sets a nonbinding target of March 31, 2008, for redeploying all but a residual force. It now goes to conference with the House which passed a similar measure.  See Senate vote  See House vote

As US surges, British forces have started to exit Iraq.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

Although the term "civil war" implies two sides, Iraq's conflict is multi-sided, which tremendously complicates the mission of the US occupation forces and reduces the likelihood of a successful outcome.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

As recent events in Iraq and Lebanon have shown, the differences between Sunni and Shiite believers are not only seen as important by the communities but now, as they have for centuries, rest at the core of bloody political struggles.  While there are superficial differences between the sects – differences in prayer and carrying out ritual ablutions, for instance – the arena of conflict between the two has long been political. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Among the errors made in Iraq: Pentagon leaders ignored analyses that indicated they needed more troops to keep order. The military was slow to develop a clear plan to counter the insurgency. For too long, US generals kept assuming that the day when Iraqi troops would be able to stand on their own was just around the corner. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Furthermore, neither the Americans nor the Iraqis moved fast enough to counter the rising influence of the radical Moqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia.

Iran and Syria, long accused of enabling the violence in Iraq, are showing new interest in finding an end to the disorder. See story from Christian Science Monitor

There is a rising clamor for a US shift on Iraq but the White House resists altering course, even as its exasperation with the Iraqi leadership grows. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Saddam Hussein's verdict brought both praise and denunciation in Iraq. See story from Christian Science Monitor

There is a rising clamor for a US shift on Iraq but the White House resists altering course, even as its exasperation with the Iraqi leadership grows. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Saddam Hussein's verdict brought both praise and denunciation in Iraq. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The idea of a negotiated divided or federated Iraq is gaining support although the Bush Administration does not appear to be adequately preparing for such a possibility.  See story from Christian Science Monitor   

Iraq's economy is weaker than at any point since the US invasion in 2003.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

The idea of a negotiated divided or federated Iraq is gaining support although the Bush Administration does not appear to be adequately preparing for such a possibility.  See story from Christian Science Monitor   

Iraq's economy is weaker than at any point since the US invasion in 2003.  See story from Christian Science Monitor

The full outlay for the Iraq war indicates that the war will eventually cost Americans in excess of $2 trillion. See story from Information Clearing House

Iraq's plethora of militias are the "infrastructure of civil war" yet the U.S. has made no serious effort to disband them. See story from the Guardian

The full outlay for the Iraq war indicates that the war will eventually cost Americans in excess of $2 trillion. See story from Information Clearing House

Iraq's plethora of militias are the "infrastructure of civil war" yet the U.S. has made no serious effort to disband them. See story from the Guardian

A shift is afoot that will probably weaken Shiite political clout as the country's factions enter serious negotiations to form a new government. Increasingly, the US is throwing its weight in Iraq behind Sunni Arabs, about 20 percent of the country, to ensure they are part of a new coalition government. See story from Christian Science Monitor

By allowing Iraq's new military to be organized largely along ethnic and religious lines, the United States may inadvertently be deepening the divisions among the country's Kurdish north, Shiite Muslim south and Sunni Muslim Arab west and leaving the sects to fight over the heart of the country. See story from Knight Ridder

A new book suggests that the C-I-A ignored pre-war information that Iraq no longer had weapons of mass destruction. See story from Associated Press

The first parliamentary elections in Iraq were conducted in December 2005. International observers concluded that the election generally met international standards. See story from BBC

Stretching newfound democratic muscle upon their first chance to elect a full-term government, Iraqis overwhelmingly threw their support behind religious parties defined along sectarian lines and ethnicity. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The Senate defeated a Democratic effort to pressure President Bush to outline a timetable for a phased withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. See story from Associated Press See vote The Senate did pass a measure requiring more regular reporting on the Iraq situation. See vote

A Sunni political agenda is emerging that is Islamist, vehemently anti-American, opposed to foreign troops, and discreetly pro- insurgency. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The Bush administration cannot fulfill all its grand promises to rebuild Iraq because soaring security costs, mismanagement and poor planning have cost billons of dollars. See story from Knight Ridder

For U.S. commanders and Iraqi leaders, one of the most hopeful recent political developments has been the emergence of two Sunni Arab coalitions to participate in December's parliamentary elections. It means Sunnis, who are behind much of the violence in Iraq, are getting more involved in politics. See story from USA Today

According to American military officials, the US has either made key arrests or developed informants who have led to a cascade of actionable intelligence over the past month which has led to major inroads against Al Qaeda's network in Japan. How big a blow this is to the insurgency in Iraq remains unclear. While US human intelligence has clearly improved, no one has a clear understanding of the internal workings of Abu Musab al- Zarqawi's network, which is thought to be only a small portion of Iraq's decentralized and highly complex insurgency. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The constitution placed for Iraqi voter approval was meant to prevent violence by unifying the diverse country. But the referendum comes at a time when the country has never seemed more divided. Sectarian violence has driven people from their homes, shuttered businesses, and killed untold numbers in what appears to be a campaign by armed groups on both sides to drive deeper the wedge between Sunnis and Shiites. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The growing specter of a full-scale civil war in Iraq -- and the likelihood that such a conflict will draw in neighboring states -- has intensified a summer-long debate here over whether and how to withdraw U.S. troops. Some analysts believe that an immediate U.S. withdrawal would make an all-out conflict less likely, while others insist that the U.S. military presence at this point is virtually all there is to prevent the current violence from blowing sky-high, destabilizing the region, and sending oil prices into the stratosphere. See story from Inter Press

Tens of thousands of anti- war activists rallied near the White House, hoping that their voices would catalyze opposition in the rest of the country and force a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. See story from Knight Ridder

From the earliest battle plans, which called for the quick return home of tens of thousands of troops, to the campaign in Fallujah and national elections that followed, the Pentagon had hoped it could largely eliminate lingering unrest before turning security over to Iraqis. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Despite the Bush Administration's efforts to be optimistic, the future of Iraq is shaky and uncertain. The transitional government's struggles to draft a new constitution have revealed deep fissures among Iraq's Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites. The nation's economy isn't soaring either. Estimates of unemployment range from 27 to 40 percent. Insurgent violence is clearly taking an economic toll. Contractors and aid donors operating in Iraq report that security and insurance outlays constitute 30-to-50 percent of their total costs, according to an International Monetary Fund economic review. Power generation remains sporadic and short of stated goals. Iraqi's security situation hardly needs elucidation. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Despite the relatively small number of American armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan (140,000), the war effort is rapidly shaping up to be the third-most expensive war in United States history. This conflict has already cost each American at least $850 in military and reconstruction costs since October 2001. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Despite massive U.S. expenditures on public works, there is little improvement in the daily lives of Baghdad residents. There continue to be water and sewage problems and electricity is often unavailable. See story from Knight Ridder

Highly classified documents leaked in Britain appear to provide new evidence that President Bush and his national security team decided to invade Iraq much earlier than they have acknowledged and marched to war without dwelling on the potential perils.

predisposed to oust Saddam Hussein when they took office - and determined to do it at all costs after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. See story from Knight Ridder

Muslims in neighboring countries still oppose the U.S. presence in Iraq. But they are increasingly put off by the brutal tactics used by the insurgency against civilians. Similarly, many Muslims are angry over the tactics used by terrorists in the name of Islam. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The House voted to support the President's position on no premature withdrawal from Iraq. See vote

The gap between tactical victories on the one hand, and few tangible improvements in the overall Iraqi security situation on the other, is creating a widening disagreement over whether the US is winning or losing the war in Iraq. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The publication of 2002 British memoranda between Prime Minister Blair and President Bush indicates that the U.S. was determined to take military action in Iraq shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The war in Iraq is entering a critical stage, and it has as much to do with public attitudes at home as it does with boots on the ground. Public patience appears to be growing thinner - a mood now echoed by some Republicans in Congress. The landscape of public and political opinion remains nuanced: Many who didn't support going to war say the US must persevere toward an eventual hand-off to Iraqi forces. Yet in interviews and polls, that fortitude is matched by growing doubts, with rising numbers of Americans calling for their troops to come home. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Iraq's new government is slowly beginning to take shape as ethnic and religious communities are learning to compromise. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Elections were held as scheduled in Iraq and there was only scattered voter-directed violence. There was widespread participation by Shiite voters and their candidates have been victorious in the election. Much of the Sunni population boycotted the election and Sunni extremists, with the assistance of terrorist organizations such as Al Queda, continue to conduct an effective insurgency. As the new government forms, the U.S. remains entrenched in a difficult and dangerous situation. There have been increased domestic calls for the U.S. to begin signficant troop reductions in Iraq. See BBC timeline of the events since the fall of Saddam Hussein

Condoleezza Rice was confirmed as U.S. secretary of state as a large majority of senators swept aside objections from some Democrats who said she should be held accountable for mistakes in the Iraq war. But the 85-13 vote reflected more opposition than any secretary of state in recent history. See story from Reuters

A report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies indicates that the largest element of the Iraqi insurgency consists of "newly radicalized Iraqi Sunnis." Since the toppling of Saddam Hussein, they have experienced a loss of power, prestige, and economic status; 40 to 60 percent of young Sunni men are unemployed; thousands were deprived of paychecks and pensions when the Bush administration shortsightedly disbanded the Iraqi army-but they weren't deprived of their guns. This faction has sometimes joined forces, when their interests merge, with the Islamists-or with holdovers from Saddam's Baathist Party, or with criminal elements who simply want to loot. But they have aligned most intensively with Sunni nationalists who are "involved in a struggle for current power." In other words, they're not fighting against order; they're fighting for a place within the order. The dominating influence of these nationalist factions explains why the more militant insurgents currently enjoy support even from Sunnis who do not engage in the violence themselves. Iraq's own intelligence agencies estimate the insurgency consists of 15,000 to 40,000 core fighters-and about 160,000 supporters. See story from Slate.com

Twelve months after Michael Moore scooped Cannes' top award with "Fahrenheit 9/11," - a scathing indictment of the Bush adminstration's handling of the war in Iraq - a very different movie director screened a very different view of the war at the world's premier cinematic gathering. But the Director Hiner Saleem states: "My film is not the opposite of 'Fahrenheit 9/11' because I don't judge George Bush or the United States," Saleem says. " I judge Saddam Hussein and I simply say he was a monster." See story from Christian Science Monitor

Iraq's new government is slowly beginning to take shape as ethnic and religious communities are learning to compromise. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Elections were held as scheduled in Iraq and there was only scattered voter-directed violence. There was widespread participation by Shiite voters and their candidates have been victorious in the election. Much of the Sunni population boycotted the election and Sunni extremists, with the assistance of terrorist organizations such as Al Queda, continue to conduct an effective insurgency. As the new government forms, the U.S. remains entrenched in a difficult and dangerous situation. There have been increased domestic calls for the U.S. to begin signficant troop reductions in Iraq. See BBC timeline of the events since the fall of Saddam Hussein

Saddam Hussein's regime made more than $21.3 billion in illegal revenue by subverting the U.N. oil-for-food program and other sanctions - more than double previous estimates, according to congressional investigators. See story from Associated Press

The best, brightest, wealthiest flee Iraq. When the kidnappers who had just released him in return for a $105,000 ransom called his home to ask for an extra $50,000, Shafiq Noori made a decision he never imagined he would make. See story from Chicago Tribune

The situation in Iraq is unlikely to improve anytime soon, according to a classified cable and briefings from the Central Intelligence Agency. See story from Reuters

Despite continued insecurity, the steady US military pressure against insurgents, coupled with efforts of the Iraqi interim government to negotiate, may be gaining at least some degree of traction. See story from Christian Science Monitor

For Western journalists and Iraqis alike, the intensifying dangers in Iraq are making it daily more difficult to tell the country's story. The ranks of foreign journalists have dwindled in the face of increased kidnappings, car bombs, and hotel rocket attacks. And Iraqi journalists - including those being hired by foreign media as their eyes and ears - are also under fire, taking risks and receiving a multitude of threats even as they come to terms with the "anything goes" press freedoms in Iraq. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Concerns are growing that high-precision equipment in Iraq that could be used to make nuclear weapons has been "systematically" disappearing, and may present a new proliferation risk. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has told the UN Security Council of the "widespread and apparently systematic dismantlement" of buildings in Iraq that once housed key dual- use items. Because UN inspectors have been all but barred from Iraq since March 2003, they must rely primarily on satellite imagery to track the missing equipment. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq has been the "most misguided" policy since the Vietnam War, according to an open letter signed by some 500 U.S. national-security specialists. Rather than improving security, the policy has actually fueled "the violent opposition to the U.S. military presence," as well as the intervention of terrorists from outside Iraq. "The results of this policy have been overwhelmingly negative for U.S. interests," according to the group which called for a "fundamental reassessment" in both the U.S. strategy in Iraq and its implementation. See story from One World Net

The United States did not have enough troops in Iraq after ousting Saddam Hussein and ``paid a big price'' for it according to L. Paul Bremer the former head of the U.S. occupation there. See story from Associated Press

After more than a year of effort in Iraq, the United States appears to be recalibrating key aspects of its strategy for rebuilding Iraqi society - while US intelligence estimates become increasingly pessimistic about that effort's ultimate success. The shift of billions in US aid from infrastructure to security projects may be but part of the story. Increasingly American efforts focus on short-term projects at the expense of longer- term efforts, according to some analysts. The aim: hold scheduled January elections if at all possible, and then try to build upward from there. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Drafts of a report from the top U.S. inspector in Iraq conclude that there were no weapons stockpiles but say there are signs that Saddam Hussein had dormant programs that he hoped to revive, according to people familiar with the findings. See story from Washington Post

Despite the cost and political risks, the U.S. appears prepared to maintain an enduring military presence in Iraq for many years. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The press reaction to Bush's UN speech on Iraq was mixed. The overall analysis was that there was too much justification for US-led war in Iraq, not enough proposals for help. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Targeted attacks and a sluggish economy are pushing academics, Christians, and businessmen in Iraq to move abroad. In the 18 months since the war, of the euphoria that brought thousands of exiles back for the opportunity to build a new Iraq. Many of those Iraqis remain and are building political and business careers. The new interim government is dominated by returnees, and former exiles are expected to fare well in planned January elections. But now signs are multiplying of Iraqis bowing to pressures to leave. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Life in Baghdad today is a picture of better and worse, of richer and poorer - with a sense of insecurity seeming to unite everyone. Before the war, fears for one's life were for the politically repressed. Now, that fear, like the political system, is being democratized. The latest studies of economic, political, and social development show Iraq teetering between halting progress and disaster. See story from Christian Science Monitor

A US army inquiry into the Abu Ghraib prison scandal reportedly finds the former top commander in Iraq violated standard procedures and allowed human rights abuses to occur. Classified parts of the report on abuses at the Iraqi prison say the Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez approved severe interrogation practices intended for captives in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay. See story from Al-Jazeera

The Pentagon's most senior civilian and military officials share a portion of blame for creating conditions that led to the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, according to a new report. The report found that those responsible for the military prison system in Iraq were operating under confusing policies on allowable interrogation techniques. The report also found that at least two dozen lower-ranking military intelligence soldiers, as well as civilian contractors, were directly responsible for the abuses. See story from Associated Press

The Shiite uprising led by al-Sadr at the Najaf shrine portends the emergence of this radical Shiite group as a potent political force in the coming months. Moreover, it is unlikely that this group will stop resorting to violence as it seeks to achieve its political aims. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Iraq's interim government, which began exerting influence even before it officially took political power last week, seems to be restoring a semblance of order to Baghdad's lawless streets. See story from USA Today

In a speech, Vice President Dick Cheney said Saddam Hussein had "long-established ties" with al Qaida, an assertion that has been repeatedly challenged by some policy experts and lawmakers. See story from Associated Press

But the US commission investigating the September 11 attacks reported yesterday it had found no evidence that Iraq and al-Qaida cooperated in the plot or had any sort of "collaborative relationship", contradicting persistent claims from the White House. See story from Guardian

According to President Vladimir Putin, Russia warned the United States on several occasions that Iraq Saddam Hussein planned "terrorist attacks" on its soil. "After the events of September 11, 2001, and before the start of the military operation in Iraq, Russian special services several times received such information and passed it on to their American colleagues," he told reporters. See story from Guardian

After several key revisions, the UN resolution on Iraq remains ambiguous enough to allow both the United States and the so-called anti-war countries that remain wary of US intentions in Iraq to declare victory, experts say. At the same time, the lack of any real definition of a UN role in Iraq, along with continuing limits on the abilities of a new Iraqi government, mean the US will remain largely in charge. See story from Christian Science Monitor

Army officials in Iraq responded late last year to a Red Cross report of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison by trying to curtail the international agency's spot inspections of the prison. See story from New York Times

The Iraq abuses are only the tip of an iceberg of culpable mismanagement that has characterized the Bush administration's Middle East policy for many months. See story from Christian Science Monitor

For months, discord has been growing in Pentagon corridors over the Iraq war, as senior US military officers criticize what they see as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's risky war plan and the lack of a clear political end game Mr. Rumsfeld, in turn, has often chastised what he sees as hidebound, overly conservative military thinking. Now, the clash between Rumsfeld's push-the-envelope approach and inherent military conservatism is again in full display over allegations that Pentagon policymakers blurred the traditional military chain of command in order to better gather intelligence. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The BBC reports that Saddam Hussein, former leader of Iraq, made billions of dollars more than previously thought from the United Nations' oil-for-food program, according to US officials. The US Treasury estimates $10 billion of "illicit gains" were made between 1997 and 2002 from the scheme. And the Independent reports allegations that three top UN officials, including Benon Sevan, the Cypriot-born UN undersecretary general who ran the program for six years, took million dollar bribes from Mr. Hussein while overseeing the program. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The decapitation of Nicholas Berg, an American civilian in Iraq, by Islamist militants has caused shock and outrage throughout the US and the world since the news broke after an Islamist website posted a videotape of the killing. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The warnings came not from anti-war Democrats, but from Republicans who were backing their president: Planning for a postwar Iraq was inadequate, they said. More U.S. troops would be needed. The United Nations should have a larger role. In each case, the warning wasn't heeded. And in each case, critics now say it appears to have been on target. See story from Associated Press

The Red Cross saw American officers mistreating Abu Ghraib prisoners by keeping them naked in total darkness in empty cells, and up to 90 percent of Iraqi detainees were arrested by mistake, according to a report disclosed Monday. See story from Associated Press

Saddam Hussein's government smuggled oil, added surcharges and collected kickbacks to rake in $10.1 billion in violation of the United Nations oil-for- food program according to the General Accounting Office. See story from Fox News

Spain and Italy saw some of the biggest demonstrations Saturday marking one year since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Some 40,000 marched in Seville, while a protest in Rome drew at least 350,000. Spain and Italy were the two European governments most closely tied to the U.S.-led war in Iraq. See story from Inter Press

The costs of the war in Iraq have outweighed the benefits of removing Saddam Hussein according to former U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix. "Bush declared war as a part of the U.S. war on terror, but instead of limiting the effects of terror, the war has laid the foundation for even more terror," Blix said. See story from Washington Post

It may be hard for Americans to understand the occupation of Iraq in the context of globalization. But Iraq today is clearly the epicenter of that trend. Here, military force was used to seize control of the world's most important commodity - oil. And corporations allied with the occupying power literally scrounge the country for profits, privatizing everything from health care to prisons, while Iraqi engineers, contractors, doctors, and educators are shunted aside. Like economic globalization in so many other countries of the developing world, this model in Iraq is an unmitigated disaster. Conditions is hospitals, schools, think tanks, political party headquarters, art galleries, and refugee camps reveal conditions clearly as bad, and often worse, than on the eve of the US invasion. Most Iraqis aren't even interested in high politics; they're worried about the same things as Americans - jobs, healthcare, and education. And the story is grim. See story from Christian Science Monitor

The drama of the recent capture of Saddam Hussein will likely serve as a short-term distraction from the broader challenge facing the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush: its continued search for a viable "exit strategy" from an Iraqi quagmire, its policy there is appearing ever more incoherent. The latest example took place December 10th when, at the same moment that Bush himself was personally asking key European and other leaders to forgive tens of billions of dollars in Iraq's crushing debt, the Pentagon announced on its website that companies from the same countries will not be permitted to bid on $18.6 billion in reconstruction contracts there. See story from Foreign Policy in Focus

If U.S. troops win the respect of the Iraqi police, and the police win the respect of Baghdad's neighborhoods, then, the thinking goes, Saddam loyalists will have nowhere to hide. There are signs of progress on that front after six months of local police training by members of the Alabama National Guard. See story from Newhouse News Services

Iraq Links

Global Security Organization-Target Iraq  (A summary of the controversy and an extensive list of relevant information and news links)