Preoccupied as it was poring through Tom Daschle's tax returns, Washington hardly noticed a near-miracle abroad. Iraq held provincial elections. There was no Election Day violence. Security was handled by Iraqi forces with little U.S. involvement. A fabulous bazaar of 14,400 candidates representing 400 parties participated, yielding results highly favorable to both Iraq and the United States. ...more

February 16, 2009

The biggest Shiite party in Iraq once appeared to hold all the political sway: control of the heartland, the backing of influential clerics and a foot in the government with ambitions to take full control. ...more

February 2, 2009

The U.S. military in a turbulent province northeast of Baghdad handed over control on Sunday of the Sons of Iraq, a predominantly Sunni group of former insurgents and tribesmen whose revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq significantly boosted security here. ...more

January 5, 2009

American combat troops will remain inside Iraqi cities to train and mentor Iraqi forces after next summer, despite a security agreement that calls for their withdrawal from urban areas by June 30, the top U.S. military commander said Saturday. ...more

December 14, 2008

The Iraqi Parliament ratified a long-delayed security agreement on Thursday that lays out a three-year timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. ...more

November 28, 2008

A heated parliamentary debate on the U.S.-Iraq security treaty was called to an early close Wednesday as lawmakers loyal to anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr scuffled with security guards for the foreign minister and the speaker of the legislature and his two deputies. ...more

November 20, 2008

Iraq's deputy prime minister said Saturday his country still needs the U.S. military to ensure security and warned that time is running out to approve a new security deal with Washington. ...more

November 8, 2008

The United States officially responded Thursday to Iraqi proposals for changes in the draft security pact that would keep American troops here for three more years. ...more

November 7, 2008

Iraq's prime minister said Friday that the country's most influential Shiite cleric will leave the decision on the future of U.S. troops to the government and parliament, a step that could remove a major obstacle to a deal. ...more

October 11, 2008

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Monday that the government is ready to compromise to reach a security accord with the United States, because Iraq still needs American troops despite the drop in violence. ...more

September 30, 2008