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Profiles Captain Bill Jacobsen, a soldier who died due to a suicide bombing at Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq. Factors being considered to defeat insurgency.

Reports on the informal autonomy of Erbil and the entire Kurdish region in Iraq. Areas included in the territory, called Kurdistan by residents in northern Iraq; Construction growth in the area; Security measures in the Kurdish sector.

Reports that U.S. troops and warplanes have killed certain number of insurgents who used car bombs and rocket-propelled grenades to try to overrun an American combat outpost in Mosul, Iraq. Capture of top insurgent leader Abu Marwan, who was responsible for conducting and commanding terrorism operations in the city; Force of the car explosion in Baghdad on the night of December 28, 2004;

Reports on the Iraqi militant group Ansar al-Sunna's posting of a video on the Internet claiming to show the explosion at a military mess tent in Mosul in December 2004. Group's claiming of responsibility for the attack; Uncertainty over the authenticity of the video; Insurgents' continuation of their campaign against Iraqi officials; Murder of Muhammad Abd al-Hussein, a member of a secular political party that has been strongly critical of Syria.

Details the assessment of a U.S. military commander that the suicide bomber who killed 22 people at an American mess tent in Mosul, Iraq, on December 21, 2004, probably wore an Iraqi military uniform and made it through a screening process for new Iraqi troops. Identification of a vest laden with explosives as the source of the blast; Anticipation that the bombing incident will result to suspicion among U.S. troops about the loyalty and integrity of Iraqi forces who accompany Americans on raids and patrols.

Reports that insurgent attacks against U.S. troops have intensified in Ramadi, Iraq. Suggestion of U.S. commanders that the heightened violence in Ramadi is an outgrowth of the siege of Falluja; Claim that mosques are being used as ammo dumps by insurgents who hide after attacks at U.S. convoys with rocket-propelled grenades and mortars; Concern of U.S. troops over the increased number of improvised explosive devices.

Focuses on the weapons used by the United States soldiers in their operation to take over control of the city of Fallujah, Iraq. Advantages that Iraqi insurgents have over the American military.

Reports on the enemy mortar and rocket attacks against American soldiers and marines at the forward operating base in Ramadi, Iraq on November 3, 2004. Reliability of the routine of insurgents who attack the camp; Accuracy of the attacks; Defense strategy implemented by the American soldiers and marines.

Offers a look at the progress of U.S. and Iraqi-led military operations in Tal Afar, Iraq as of June 16, 2005. Efforts of U.S. military forces to capture control of the city of Tal Afar from insurgents; View that Tal Afar has been patrolled by a shortage of U.S. troops and disorganized Iraqi security forces; Comments of Maj. Chris Kennedy, commander of U.S. troops in Tal Afar; Claim that many military commanders are hindered by a lack of troops; Efforts of the U.S. military to avoid a full assault on insurgents due to the resulting casualties, property damage, and alienation of the Iraqi public; Description of the impact of political violence on the lives of citizens of Tal Afar; Description of the Sabre Squadron, a unit of 1000 U.S. solider that oversees Tal Afar; Importance of cooperation between U.S. and Iraqi forces in securing Tal Afar.

The article discusses an Islamic extremist insurgency in the city of Falluja, Iraq as of January 10, 2014, highlighting U.S. Marines who fought in the Iraq war's surprise that the city was recaptured by the insurgents. Topics addressed include Marines' views on the decision to remove U.S. troops from Iraq, some veterans' views that the lives lost in Falluja during the Iraq war were wasted, and the views of former U.S. State Department official Kael Weston.

The article reports that the Awakening Councils, the Sunni militias created by U.S. troops in Iraq to battle Sunni insurgents, have come under a fresh round of assassinations and bombings, threatening one of the crucial elements of the military's plan to pacify that country. U.S. officials blamed the group Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia for most of the attacks. The militias receive little or no support from Iraq's Shiite-dominated government.

The article reports that in January 2008, the Iraqi Parliament passed a bill that would allow some officials from former Iraq President Saddam Hussein's party to fill government positions but would impose a strict ban on others. The legislation is the first major political benchmark passed after months of U.S. pressure for progress. It is expected to be approved by the presidential council, allowing low-level Baath Party members barred from office after the 2003 invasion political reinstatement.

The article reports on foreign insurgents in Iraq. U.S. military forces raided a suspected terrorist camp in September 2007 and uncovered biographical information about an estimated 700 foreign fighters. While the largest numbers of rebel forces are Sunni Iraqis, the foreign fighters originated largely in Saudi Arabia and Libya where both countries have governments that are U.S. allies.

The article focuses on the debate surrounding the June 2007 conviction and rendering of death sentences to three of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's men, including the henchman known as Chemical Ali and the former minister of defense, Sultan Hashem Ahmed al-Jabouri al Tai. Some Iraqi and U.S. leaders want to commute the sentences in order to bring reconciliation between Iraq's warring factions. Shiite and Kurd leaders fear this will bring forgiveness to Saddam Hussein's many crimes.

The article focuses on Kurdish separatist rebel groups who attack Iran from bases in northern Iraq. Unlike the Kurdish PPK group which attacks Turkey, the U.S. has not called these rebels terrorists. In fact, the rebels claim and Iran charges that the group receives U.S. support. The U.S. denies the accusation. Economic ties between Iran and the Kurdish region of Iraq have put its government in a difficult position in dealing with the rebels.

The article reports that witnesses to the September 2007 shooting incident in Baghdad, Iraq by Blackwater USA security forces have come forward. The witness testimony supports forensic evidence that the personnel opened fire on fleeing civilians with no provocation. No shell casings were found except the type issued to coalition forces. Additionally, Blackwater reported the vehicles had to be towed from the scene because of damage caused by gunfire, when in fact the vehicles drove away.

The article focuses on the security situation in Fallujah, Iraq. U.S. Marines still occupy the city. Violence has subsided due to stringent security measures such as a ban on vehicle traffic and walled subdivisions, and co-operation with a local Sunni police force. The Marines are scheduled to withdraw in spring 2008. The police force fears it will then be in conflict with the Shiite-dominated central government of Iraq, which has given it no support.

The article discusses the reaction of Iraqi troops to volunteer Sunni groups that have become allies of the U.S. in patrolling the streets of Baghdad and Falluja. It mentions the support that Iraqi Brigadier General Nassir al-Hiti has shown for the project. The U.S. is especially close to a group led by Abu Azzam which includes men who were insurgents who fought the U.S. occupation. Abu Azzam has vowed to fight Islamist militants.

The article reports on a bombing that took place on June 25, 2007 in Baghdad, Iraq. The blast was allegedly meant to kill four of the Sunni Sheiks who have been instrumental in aiding U.S. troops in separating Sunnis from the Al Qaeda resistance. The bombing took place in a hotel in Anbar, one of Baghdad's western provinces.

The article discusses guerrilla fighters in Baquba, Iraq. Insurgents became particularly attracted to the city after the United States Army claimed that the area was pacified and drew down their troop presence. They are highly organized and use military strategies to battle American infantry on a regular basis.

This article describes the death of U.S. Sergeant First Class Benjamin L. Sebban in the Iraq War and the response of his commander Colonel David Sutherland. Sutherland and his brigade chaplain, Major Charlie Fenton, visit every dead and badly wounded soldier in their unit. Soon after visiting the military base in Balad, Iraq, Sutherland and Fenton were given a list of new casualties, including Sergeant Sebban.

The article states that a raid led by U.S. and Iraqi troops on a cache of Shiite weapons in Hilla, Iraq has led American officials to believe that roadside bombs in Iraq are manufactured in Iran. The explosive material, triggering devices, and other bomb components all appear to be have been manufactured by Iran. Critics contend that the bomb components could have been made in Iraq or elsewhere.

The article reports that United States military officials have claimed that Iran is supplying Shiite terrorists in Iraq. Iran is said to supply the deadly squat canisters called explosively formed canisters. The government has serial numbers that tie the weapons to Iranian manufacture. The officials claimed, without providing evidence, that the Iranian government had authorized smuggling weapons into Iraq.

The article discusses how several U.S. helicopters have gone down in Iraq, with 6 crashes in 3 weeks, suggesting that new tactics have been adopted by the insurgents. Seemingly, the insurgents have learned American flight patterns and ways to use old weapons to down helicopters. U.S. military officials think the aircraft were hit by small arms' fire, but in some cases missiles had been fired from the ground.

The article discusses the suicide bombing of a Shiite market in Baghdad, Iraq on February 3, 2007. Just days after the bomb killed more than 135 people and injured an additional 200, critics are blaming the U.S. government for the attack. The U.S. announced in January that they would commit more security troops in Baghdad to assist Iraq while it reorganizes its own security forces. In response to the news, the Shiite militia, known as the Mahdi Army, dismantled security checkpoints and went into hiding--leaving the Shiite population unprotected against Sunni forces.

This article describes a suicide bomb attack in a marketplace in Baghdad, Iraq that killed at least 130 Iraqis and wounded at least 300. The bomb, ignited in a truck in the mostly Shiite neighborhood, will put more pressure on Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al Maliki by the U.S. to crack down on Shiite militias. The Shiites will be pressuring Maliki to avenge the bombing by attacking the Sunnis. The U.S. and others are trying to prevent such action to avoid the outbreak of full-scale civil war.

This article focuses on the possible consequences of the U.S military ceding authority to the Iraqi Army in Iraq. The author details how Diyala Province, once considered to be relatively pacified, is now beset by violence carried out by insurgents, militias and sectarian security forces. The conflicts between Sunnis and Shiites in the province are discussed.

The article reports on warnings made to leaders in Iraq by U.S. officials regarding interior security forces. Because of the Leahy Law, which prevents the U.S. from providing monetary support to foreign officials who enforce security through inhumane tactics, current funds allocated to the Shiite controlled Interior Ministry police may be decreased. Investigations into allegations of the torture and murder of prisoners in Baghdad's Site 4 fuel concerns.

The author reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki criticized the American military for what he characterized as habitual attacks by U.S. forces against Iraqi civilians. The public reaction to reports that American marines killed 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha are reviewed. Excerpts of comments made by al-Maliki are reviewed. It is suggested that the denunciation was an unusual declaration for a government that remains desperately dependent on American forces.

The article reports on a military inquiry into alleged mass killings of innocent Iraqi civilians in Haditha, Iraq by U.S. troops. Military and government officials indicate that the investigations may lead to charges that include murder and a cover-up. According to one U.S. defense official, most of the killings were committed by a handful of marines, led by their squad leader. Other marines are also under investigation. U.S. officials declined to comment on details of the killings described by the survivors.

This article reports that Shiite leaders in Iraq had selected Jawad al-Maliki as their nominee for prime minister. Kurdish and Sunni leaders said that they would support al-Maliki as a replacement for Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Maliki, a conservative, has been active in efforts to rid former Baath Party members from important jobs in Iraq. He has also been an outspoken critic of the Sunni dominated insurgency fighting coalition troops.

The article reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has dropped his bid to retain his job following intense pressure from American and Iraqi officials. It is suggested that al-Jaafari's decision removes a major obstacle to forming a new government during a time of rising sectarian violence. Comments made regarding the issue by acting speaker of Parliament Adnan Pachachi are reviewed.

The article reports that Bob Woodruff, co-anchor of American Broadcasting Co.'s (ABC) evening newscast, and network cameraman Doug Vogt, suffered head wounds and other serious injuries when a large roadside bomb struck the Iraqi military vehicle carrying the north of the capital. The author suggests that the injuries represented the latest crisis for a network news division that has been reeling since the death of longtime anchor Peter Jennings.

The article reports that attacks by suicide bombers in Iraq killed as many as 130 people on January 5, 2006. The author suggests that the violence has rekindled fears of a return to mass sectarian killings after a relative lull. According to the author, Iraq's most powerful Shiite political faction is warning of retribution and indirectly blaming the United States for the bloodshed. Details of the attacks are reviewed.

The article reports that insurgents in Iraq unleashed car bombs and suicide attacks throughout the country on January 4, 2005, killing more than 50 people in the deadliest day since the national parliamentary elections three weeks ago. The author reviews how insurgents attacked a Shiite funeral in Miqdadiya. Witness accounts of the incident are reviewed. The kidnapping of the sister of interior minister Bayan Jabr is also discussed.

The article reports that an analysis of voting results from the December 2005 parliamentary election suggests that Sunni Arabs have little representation in the Iraqi security forces. Sunni Arabs make up about 20 percent of Iraq's population. Sunni Arabs have participated in the political development of Iraq. The government is largely dominated by Shiites and Kurds. Sunni Arabs fear the security forces will be used against them. It is important to build an Iraqi Army that is representative of Iraq's ethnicity.

Focuses on the insurgency in Basra, Iraq. Infiltration of the police force and government by the Jameat, who are said to murder and torture, and who answer to leaders of the city's sectarian militias; Extent to which Shiite militias hold sway in Basra; Increase in lethal attacks on British forces; Comments of Major Andy Hadfield, a British company commander; Background on Basra, which has fallen under the rule of fundamentalist Shiite militias and political parties; How the rise of the militias represents another obstacle to the President George W. Bush's long-term goal of replacing U.S.-led forces with Iraqis; Speculation on how the Jameat emerged as such a powerful force.

Reports that insurgents in Iraq staged at least a dozen suicide bombings in Baghdad, killing almost 150 people and wounding more than 500 in a coordinated assault that left much of the capital paralyzed. Review of how Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia claimed responsibility for the assault, which inflicted the biggest death toll in Baghdad since the American-led invasion of Iraq toppled Saddam Hussein more than two years ago; Description of each attack; Discussion of how the attacks coincided with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, attended by top Iraqi leaders and U.S. President George W. Bush.

Focuses on relations between Sunni Arabs and U.S. soldiers in Qabr Abed, a Sunni Arab-dominated area of Iraq. Relative safety of this town in northern Iraq; Observation that no U.S. soldiers have been killed or wounded here in five months; How the area is a striking contrast to other Sunni Arab regions where the insurgency continues; Strategy of the President George W. Bush administration in marginalizing Sunni leaders; Why the U.S. administration is now courting Sunni Arabs with strong ties to insurgents; Comments of U.S. soldiers who are working with Sunnis.

Reports that four suicide bomb attacks struck Iraqi police and an army base in a wave of insurgent violence in Mosul. Details of the violence, which continued a trend; Comments of U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who says the insurgency could deepen and last as long as 12 years; How President George W. Bush administration officials have been at odds with military leaders over the strength and resiliency of the insurgency; Plan by Bush to press his case for a large continued military presence in Iraq; Why the success of Iraqi forces is critical to America's exit strategy from Iraq; U.S. efforts to train and equip Iraqi police officials and troops.

Reports that Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, who has led the insurgency against the United States military occupation in Iraq, has suggested that he will forgo military efforts and work to ease rising sectarian tensions throughout Iraq. Statement made by al-Sadr that he wants to solve problems politically and peacefully; Report that Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, ordered al-Sadr to stop the violence; Role of al-Sadr in backing anti-American demonstrations in Iraq.

Reports that Iraq's new Shiite majority government announced that it had ordered the army to stop raiding mosques and arresting clerics. Intent to ease tensions with Iraq's dispossessed Sunni Arab minority; Role of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in appealing to Shiite leaders to reach out to Sunni Arabs, in the hope of weakening Sunni support for the insurgency; Background on the Iraqi defense minister, Sadoun al-Dulaimi, a Sunni Arab who made the announcement; How Iraqi troops operating under U.S. command have raided scores of mosques in the past 18 months; Signs that Shiite leaders have recognized the need to defuse tensions with Sunni Arabs; Call by Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for Shiites and Sunnis to work together; Comments of Rice and Dulaimi.

Reports on a visit to Iraq by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Review of the diplomatic intentions of the visit, during which Rice urged Iraq's new Shiite-dominated government to greatly increase the involvement of Sunni Arabs in the writing of the Iraqi constitution; Concern within the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush that the chance to draw the Sunni minority into Iraq's new democracy is slipping away; Influence of the continuing violence in Iraq caused by insurgents who are against the new government; Comments from Rice regarding the importance of Sunni inclusion.

Looks at the progress of U.S. military operations in Iraq as of May 10, 2005. Details of a U.S. Marine attack in which 100 insurgents were killed in western Iraq, near the Syrian border; Report that the region was used as an outpost for importing cars, weapons, money, and other supplies for the insurgency; Role of new intelligence reports on the decision of U.S. troops to attack the region, near Qaim and Ubaydi, in the Jazira Desert; Comments of Iraq's new defense minister, Sadoon al-Dulaimi, on his intentions for military policy; Details of ongoing U.S. military strategy in Iraq.

Reports on Iraq's Shiite majority government and plans to fill six vacant appointments to complete the 35-member cabinet. Indication Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari will add more Sunni Arabs to his administration; Speculation that Sadoon al-Dulaimi will be nominated as defense minister; Data showing the amount of violence continuing in Baghdad; Idea that there has been a power vacuum in Iraq; Witness' description of the car bombing near a school in Baghdad that killed 22, including 2 Americans; Mention of an allied-force capture of Ghassan Muhammad al-Rawl, a suspected Al Qaeda leader at the local level.

Reports on an attack by a suicide bomber, which killed at least 60 people, outside a police recruiting center in Erbil, Iraq, a Kurdish provincial capital. Review of the scene following the blast, which was the biggest single act of terrorism in Iraq since early March, and only the second of its kind in the normally calm Kurdish territory; Announcement made by terrorist group Ansar al Sunna, claiming responsibility for the attack.

Reports that, despite divisions within Iraq's fledgling government, the new cabinet was sworn into office with at least six positions still undecided. Details of the stalled negotiations; Disputes among political leaders; Perception of the failure to fill the cabinet and the public protest by Sheik Ghazi al-Yawar, the government's top-ranking Sunni, as a serious embarrassment for the effort to build a government of national unity; Comments of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari; Divisions among Iraqis over how to deal with their Baathist past; Role of Sunnis in the insurgency; Political violence in Iraq; Outlook.

Reports on an insurgent attack against a Kurdish funeral near Mosul, Iraq, in which 35 Iraqis were killed. Increase in insurgency and violence in Iraq since the formation of a Shiite-led government; View that insurgent have used violence to intimidate and influence the incoming government; Comments of deputy prime minister Ahmad Chalabi on the formation of a cabinet in Iraq's new government; Potential for former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath party to be included in the government; Efforts to include Sunni Muslims in the government structure; Details of the capture of several men believed to be responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Margaret Hassan, a British-Iraqi humanitarian aid worker killed by insurgents.

Reports that insurgents, hoping to destabilize Iraq's new government, coordinated twelve-car bomb attacks throughout Iraq on Friday. Suggestion that the attacks were a direct challenge to the new Shiite-dominated government that was formed on Thursday; Review of the location of the car bombings, which were aimed at Iraqi police officers and national guardsman; Comments from followers of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi made on the Internet, claiming responsibility for the attacks.