Beyond the War in Iraq

A Kurdish man mourns over the grave of his son, a victim of a suicide blast in Arbil, Iraq that killed at least 56 people on Feb. 1, 2004. Credit: Reuters Limited © 2004

David Kay, who resigned as head of the U.S. team searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, shown in an October 2003 photograph. Credit: Reuters Limited © 2003

Note: This section is not being updated after Feb. 4, 2004. For the latest coverage, visit our new Iraq page.


The postwar focus is on building a new Iraqi government and rejuvenating the nation's oil-based economy. U.S. efforts get a lift from the capture of former dictator Saddam Hussein. U.S. diplomatic efforts continue amid a volatile climate in Iraq and neighboring countries. President Bush is seeking additional help from allies to restore order, with mixed results. Follow NPR coverage:

Army Preps Replacement Troops in N. Iraq
Soldiers in the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division will be returning from Iraq soon, as part of the biggest troop transfer since World War II. Before they leave, soldiers must impart everything they've learned about northern Iraq to the unit replacing them. NPR's Anne Garrels reports. Feb. 4, 2004

N. Dakota Mourns Soldier Killed in Iraq
In Bismarck, N.D., friends and family are remembering 41-year-old Ken Hendrickson. He was killed in Iraq last month, along with another soldier, when their convoy was attacked on a highway north of Fallujah. Tracy Fugere of North Dakota Public Radio reports. Feb. 4, 2004

Blair Orders Inquiry into British-Iraq Intelligence
Prime Minister Tony Blair orders an inquiry into the intelligence the British government used in deciding to go to war with Iraq, a day after President Bush announced a similar investigation. Hear NPR's Guy Raz. Feb. 3, 2004

U.N. Outlines Plans to Aid Iraq Reconstruction
The United Nations will send a team to Iraq in hopes of easing disputes over the transfer of power there. Shiite Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's demands for directly electing an Iraqi interim government have clashed with U.S. plans for a caucus process. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and U.N. Undersecretary-General Shashi Tharoor. Feb. 3, 2004

Analysts Ponder Sistani's Leadership of Shiite Iraqis
Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani continues to push for direct elections to choose the new Iraqi interim government. As the United Nations plans to send a team to see if elections are indeed feasible, some wonder if Sistani has enough influence to hold the Shiite community together. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels. Feb. 3, 2004

Iraq Probe Riles Intelligence Officials
President Bush's decision to create another panel to investigate pre-war intelligence on Iraq angers many in the intelligence community. Intelligence experts say much of the information provided on Iraq was accurate, and accuse the Bush administration of spinning data to support the case for war. Hear NPR's Mary Louise Kelly. Feb. 3, 2004

Future of Pre-Emption Doctrine in Doubt
The failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has raised serious questions about the Bush administration's doctrine of pre-emption. Critics say the United States will have to overcome a major credibility gap, if it is ever to use pre-emptive strikes in the future. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports. Feb. 3, 2004

Former NSA Head: Admit WMD Flub
NPR's Robert Siegel talks with former national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, who says the United States has lost credibility worldwide over its apparent failure to accurately assess Iraq weapons capability. He calls for candid acknowledgement by the Bush administration of the failure, and for a shake-up at the highest levels of the intelligence community. Feb. 2, 2004

Suicide Attacks Spark Questions in Iraq
Sunday's twin suicide bombings in the Kurdish city of Irbil have renewed the debate about the extent of foreign involvement in the ongoing anti-U.S. insurgency. Most Iraqis says suicide attacks are not in their nature. NPR's Emily Harris reports. Feb. 2, 2004

Attacks on Iraqi Kurds Kill 56
In the worst attack in Iraq since August, at least 56 people died Sunday and more than 200 wounded in twin suicide bombings. The near simultaneous explosions took place in the northern city of Irbil, inside the separate headquarters of Iraq's two leading Kurdish political parties. The offices were crowded with guests invited to celebrate a Muslim holy day. Hear NPR's Emily Harris. Feb. 2, 2004

Related NPR Stories

More Iraq Coverage