With his public approval where Harry Truman's stood when he left office, George W. Bush gave his last news conference and farewell speech. ...more

January 17, 2009

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

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr warned Iraqi lawmakers that approving a U.S. troop agreement would be tantamount to a betrayal of the Iraqi people, as his supporters rallied against the deal Saturday. ...more

October 19, 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

Tens of thousands rallied in several cities Friday against a proposed U.S.-Iraqi security agreement, raising doubts that negotiators can meet July's target to finalize a pact to keep U.S. troops in Iraq after the current U.N. mandate expires. ...more

May 31, 2008

Some 10,000 Iraqi troops fanned out Tuesday in Baghdad's Sadr City, taking positions along main roads, rooftops and near hospitals in an attempt to establish government control in the Shiite militia enclave for the first time since Saddam Hussein's ouster. ...more

May 21, 2008

Rockets or mortars hit the U.S.-protected Green Zone early Saturday, just a day after powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army militia to extend its cease-fire by another six months. ...more

February 24, 2008

Powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr opted Friday to keep the cease-fire order for his Mahdi Army militia in place for another six months, a step that will limit U.S. and Iraqi casualties while bolstering al-Sadr's importance as a political player as Iraqi factions jostle for power. ...more

February 23, 2008

Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has sharply reduced his workload in recent months, raising new questions about the health of the aged leader and the prospect of a dangerous power vacuum without a clear and dominant successor. ...more

February 8, 2008

As the faithful marked Christmas Day, political and religious leaders called for peace and reconciliation amid flickers of hope in places long plagued by conflict. ...more

December 26, 2007