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Secretary of State Colin Powell says the Bush administration estimates it will take six months for Iraqis to draft a constitution, once an Iraqi commission is formed for that purpose. The announcement follows a day of intense meetings between U.S., Russian, EU and U.N. officials looking for ways to revive the Mideast peace process. Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara and New York University law professor Noah Feldman.

President Bush and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder publicly put aside their differences over the U.S.-led war in Iraq, announcing plans to cooperate in stabilization and reconstruction efforts there. Germany is not expected to contribute troops but could help train Iraqi security forces. Hear NPR's Vicky O'Hara.

Former U.N. weapons inspector David Kay's report on the search for banned Iraqi arms is receiving varying interpretations. Pointing to Kay's findings that Iraq intended to build chemical and biological weapons, President Bush finds support for claims that Saddam Hussein was a danger to the world. But congressional Democrats stress that no weapons have been found so far. Hear NPR's Andrea Seabrook and NPR's Don Gonyea.

Disaster relief workers, homeowners and businesses struggle to recover from Hurricane Isabel in several states as utility companies gradually restore power to millions. The storm renews questions about why more power lines aren't buried underground and about alternative ways to provide power in emergencies. Hear reports from Jessica Jones of member station WUNC, NPR's Liane Hansen and NPR's Greg Allen.

The White House fields an avalanche of questions about when President Bush first learned that administration officials had allegedly exposed a CIA operative married to a vocal critic of Bush's Iraq policy. Meanwhile, congressional Republicans dismiss Democratic calls for a special counsel to investigate the leak, now the subject of a Justice Department probe. Hear NPR's Don Gonyea.

Turkey's parliament authorizes the deployment of up to 10,000 Turkish peacekeepers to neighboring Iraq to work alongside U.S. forces. The vote came as a surprise in light of strong public opposition in Turkey to the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Iraq's governing council says it opposes the presence of any foreign troops from neighboring countries on Iraqi soil. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is claiming leadership of Iraq's majority sect and demanding the withdrawal of American forces. His supporters have clashed with U.S. troops and rival factions in the Shiite strongholds of southern Iraq. Sadr, son of a revered Shiite leader, presents a growing challenge to U.S. authorities in Baghdad. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

After several days of relative calm, violence erupts in Iraq. Two separate attacks leave three U.S. soldiers dead and at least two others wounded. In Baghdad, an Iraqi government building comes under attack. Elsewhere in the capital, hundreds of jobless demonstrators pelt American soldiers with rocks. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

Senate Republicans push for speedy approval of President Bush's $87 billion funding request for Iraq and Afghanistan. The Senate Appropriations Committee puts a bill to approve the money on a fast track. But Democrats and some Republicans are uneasy about approving $20 billion earmarked for reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Hear NPR's David Welna.

Tensions rise in the slum area of Baghdad known as Sadr City. A radical young Shiite cleric there, Muqtadah al-Sadr, has refused to recognize the authority of the U.S. appointed governing council and has proclaimed a rival administration. Hear NPR's John Ydstie and NPR's Guy Raz.