A ‘spiraling’ Iraqi refugee crisis, exacerbated by closed borders and tightening admissions in the West, threatens Iraq’s economic and social stability.

Cholera in Iraq continues to spread, and experts can’t seem to get a handle on the unsanitary water responsible for making so many people sick. 

Washington’s hopes for progress in Iraq rest on cooperation with Sunni tribes previously aligned with insurgents. Yet the policy faces new opposition from Iraq’s Shiite-dominated government and targeted killings of tribal leaders.

Some Democratic presidential contenders are joining the Bush administration and Iraqi officials in signaling a long-term U.S. presence in Iraq.

Private security firms remain integral to U.S. operations in Iraq, but a recent shootout suggests contractors may be a growing liability for Washington.

President Bush affirmed the testimony of his top commander in Iraq with regard to the continued need for U.S. troops there, but also set forth a plan for a much longer-term U.S. presence aimed at containing Iran.

The top U.S. officials in Iraq give sober but hopeful testimony to Congress on stabilizing Iraq, saying a large U.S. troop presence remains vital.

Mid-September progress reports were intended to mark the end of debate on U.S. strategy in Iraq. Instead, they may well fuel it.

There are varying accounts about the security impact of added U.S. troops to Iraq. But the lack of political progress among Iraqi factions is glaring.

The Democratic-led Congress entered the summer recess aiming to force Republicans into accepting a withdrawal timetable from Iraq. But military gains may be prompting a strategy shift. 

An expanded role for the UN in Iraq could aid efforts to reach political consensus, but some UN officials and American policymakers remain skeptical.

Months before even the first primary vote is cast, the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign is fulfilling expectations as a major contest over foreign policy.

Lawmakers in both Washington and Baghdad took a summer recess gridlocked over how to resolve standoffs on policy to secure and rebuild Iraq.

U.S. and Iraqi lawmakers prepare to recess with little sign of compromise on critical Iraq policy issues.

A new assessment on the war presents a “mixed bag,” as Iraqis fail to meet many benchmarks but security in Baghdad appears to be improving. The debate in Washington, meanwhile, remains polarized.

The presidential and congressional elections eighteen months away are contributing to new pressures from Capitol Hill for a U.S. troop drawdown in Iraq.

A rise in suicide bombings suggests the “surge” in American forces may be failing. That has military analysts updating their views of how the United States will begin to detach itself from the Iraq War.  

As major offensives get underway to root out insurgents outside the capital, Iraq’s economy continues to sputter and political progress appears bleak.

Amid reports the U.S military is arming Sunni factions, some experts say the “surge” has proven ineffective as sectarian violence returns to previous levels.

The White House is retooling its Iraq war strategy, taking up some suggestions offered by the Iraq Study Group report.