Search results for

U.S. forces raid a Baghdad villa where Saddam Hussein was believed to have sought refuge. At least five Iraqis are killed during the incident, which follows a similar attack on Thursday on a farmhouse in Tikrit, Saddam's hometown and power base. The U.S. military says the "noose is tightening" around the deposed Iraqi dictator. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

The Pentagon reveals that U.S. forces attacked a convoy of vehicles near the Iraq-Syria border last week. U.S. officials say the attacks targeted "someone" associated with Saddam Hussein's regime, but will not confirm reports from a British newspaper suggesting Saddam himself may have been in the convoy. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

CIA Director George Tenet acknowledges that his agency allowed an erroneous statement about Iraq to appear in President Bush's State of the Union address in January. Bush said that Iraq had tried to purchase uranium to build nuclear weapons. This week, the White House acknowledged that the claim was incorrect. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

U.S. troops continue house-to-house searches for remnants of the Saddam Hussein regime or other Iraqis who may be planning attacks on U.S.-led forces. Operation Ivy Serpent is the fourth such sweep. NPR's Guy Raz, embedded with U.S. soldiers, reports from Tikrit.

American forces in Iraq launch another series of raids against militants suspected of planning attacks to mark upcoming anniversaries linked to Iraqi nationalism and Saddam Hussein. Weekend Edition Sunday guest host Michele Kelemen speaks with NPR's Guy Raz, who is embedded with troops involved with the raids.

President Bush defends the quality of intelligence he received from Britain on Iraq's alleged weapons programs, calling it "darn good." Bush's comments come days after the administration acknowledged it could not document his State of the Union claim in January that Iraq had been trying to buy uranium in Africa to develop nuclear weapons. Hear NPR's David Welna.

Iraqis greet the country's newly formed governing council with cautious optimism. The 25-member group holds its first full day of meetings, but fails to elect a leader. In one of its first moves, the council bans several national holidays associated with Saddam Hussein and his Baath party. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt and Miami University political science professor Adeed Dawisha.

Judicial authorities in the Iraqi town of Hilla launch the first formal investigations into the crimes of Saddam Hussein's ousted regime. After an unsuccessful 1991 revolt, Iraqi security forces slaughtered thousands of people in the region. U.S. troops work with local officials to arrest suspects in the killings. NPR's Deborah Amos reports.

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. Tommy Franks tell a Senate committee that attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq are increasing. But they insist that the United States will stay in Iraq as long as it takes to stabilize the country. Senators from both parties urge the Pentagon to be honest about the costs and dangers that commitment could entail. NPR's Tom Gjelten reports.

Looting and sabotage since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime have left Iraq's oil fields in disrepair, hampering U.S. efforts to resume oil exports quickly to fund reconstruction efforts. U.S. officials expect that Iraq will begin exporting 700,000 barrels a day in August, far less than its pre-war capacity. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.