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U.S. officials in Baghdad announce that military policeman Spc. Jeremy Sivits will be the first to face a court-martial over prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison. The May 19 proceeding will determine whether Sivits merits a "bad conduct discharge." Observers say the speed with which the charges are being brought reflects the military's desire to put the abuse scandal to rest. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

This week, the Sept. 11 panel hears testimony from former FBI Director Louis Freeh, former Attorney General Janet Reno, Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller. Their testimony comes as representatives of several other agencies have blamed the FBI for not alerting the government to the possibility of attack. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and NPR News Analyst Cokie Roberts.

President George Bush strongly supports Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to keep control of some settlements as Israel pulls out of Gaza and parts of the West Bank, setting a new tone in U.S. Mideast policy. Previous U.S.-brokered peace deals have required the removal of all settlements. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Samuel Lewis, former ambassador to Israel.

The Supreme Court hears arguments in the case of prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The detainees have requested a ruling on whether U.S. courts can review challenges to their incarceration. The Bush administration argues foreign prisoners picked up on the battlefield and held outside U.S. borders do not have the right to access the courts. NPR's Nina Totenberg reports.

Paul Bremer, the chief U.S. administrator in Iraq, issues a directive that gives the U.S. commander in Iraq control over Iraq's armed forces after the handover of sovereignty on June 30. It also creates a new Ministry of Defense, replacing the one Bremer disbanded shortly after he assumed control of the American occupation 10 months ago. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

The CIA and other intelligence agencies were too slow to recognize and describe the threat posed by al Qaeda, and failed to warn other government agencies properly, according to findings by the Sept. 11 commission. But CIA Director George Tenet and FBI Director Robert Mueller warn some of the panel's proposed reforms might make things worse. Hear NPR's Larry Abramson.

Speaking to the nation and the White House press corps at a rare prime time news conference, President Bush says "the consequences of failure in Iraq would be unthinkable." He pledges that a U.S.-led effort there will not fail, but he vows to stick to a June 30 deadline to transfer power to an Iraqi government.

U.S. and allied forces clash with supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The worst violence was near the southern city of Najaf, where 20 Iraqis were killed when al-Sadr's supporters opened fire on a Spanish garrison near the city. There was a similar demonstration in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad. The violence flared after U.S. forces detained an associate of Sadr. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Scattered clashes are reported in the region around Fallujah, though a cease-fire declared over the weekend is largely holding. Iraqi officials report 600 civilians have died in Fallujah since U.S. Marines launched an offensive there last Monday. Those fleeing the city accuse U.S. forces of firing randomly, causing numerous civilian casualties. Hear NPR's Philip Reeves.

Next week members of the Sept. 11 commission will hear testimony from the current and former heads of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Commissioners want to know what structural reforms have taken place in government since Sept. 11, 2001, that would or could prevent future attacks. Hear NPR's Linda Wertheimer, public service professor Paul Light of New York University, and John MacGaffin, the CIA's former associate deputy director for operations.