The U.S. government has set a number of benchmarks on security, economic performance, and governance for the Iraqi government to determine progress.

This publication is now archived. What’s the status of Iraqi reconstruction?It’s advancing slowly. The U.S.-led coalition in Iraq can cite some progress as it tries to restore basic services and brin…

Five days after U.S. forces killed al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the group announced his successor, the unknown Abu Hamza al-Muhajir. Speculation abounds about the man and the signifi…

Iran’s influence in Iraq is the subject of enormous speculation. The United States is taking steps to counter that influence.

Bashar al-Assad, whose regime looked shaky under international pressure last year, is consolidating his power and cracking down on dissent. Despite a UN probe linking Syrian officials to the assassin…