This publication is now archived. Who is the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani?He is the most important Shiite cleric in Iraq, where the population is about 60 percent Shiite. The reclusive, Iranian-bor…

This publication is now archived. What is the makeup of the Iraqi Governing Council?A diverse mixture of Iraqis—including recently returned exiles, tribal leaders, women, religious Muslim conservativ…

This publication is now archived. Who controls Iraqi oil?The United States and Britain have some rights to use the oil to fund their occupation, international lawyers say, but Iraq’s oil legally belo…

This publication is now archived. What were the main Iraqi opposition groups on the eve of the 2003 war?There were six main organizations that represented a mix of ethnic, religious, and political se…

This publication is now archived. What is the United Nations’ role in Iraq?It is a big player on the humanitarian scene--its agencies have, for example, distributed 1 million tons of food and million…