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With a week left before the new Iraqi constitution is to be presented to the National Assembly, many hurdles remain. And in the wake of heavy U.S. casualties last week, the United States is pushing hard for Iraqi politicians to finish their work. Host Liane Hansen speaks with NPR's Philip Reeves in Baghdad.

Thousands of U.S. troops launch a much-anticipated offensive against Iraqi insurgents in the town of Fallujah, west of Baghdad. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and NPR's Philip Reeves.

An American Marine is shown on videotape shooting an apparently unarmed and wounded Iraqi man in a mosque in the city of Fallujah. The incident was caught on camera by an American TV journalist. The Marine has been withdrawn from the battlefield while the U.S. military conducts an investigation. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

Unrest persists in Mosul as U.S. and Iraqi forces continue their offensive in Fallujah. Thousands of Iraqi police abandoned their posts in Mosul this week after an attack by insurgents. U.S. and Iraqi forces were sent in. U.S. officials call the situation "fully manageable." Hear NPR's Philip Reeves.

The fighting in Fallujah rouses strong -- but mixed -- emotions among Iraqis. It is also triggering further violence in several parts of the country. Insurgents reportedly mounted the third major attack on the Iraqi police within four days, storming their bases in Baquoba, 40 miles from the capital. Hear NPR's Philip Reeves.

Installing high-quality military leaders is key if Iraq's security forces are to become effective enough to allow American troops to return home. But with rampant corruption and the constant threat of assassination, finding those commanders is proving difficult. A look at one Iraqi commander.

Telephone and Internet connections are only intermittently available in the wake of King Gyanendra's move to sack his government and assume power himself. The king is attempting to stifle public opposition to what some of his critics are calling a royal coup.

Iraqi security forces raid the town of Madaen, near Baghdad, seeking to free a large number of Shiite hostages. More than 100 hostages were reportedly taken by Sunni militants.

The northern Iraq city of Mosul sits astride the Tigris River on the main road south to the Sunni heartland and the capital, Baghdad. As a result, it is considered a key prize in the Iraq war and an intense struggle to control the streets is under way. Philip Reeves is embedded with U.S. forces in Mosul.

U.S. military commanders say American and Iraqi forces have occupied the entire city of Fallujah, although pockets of resistance remain in the city following a week of intense fighting. The civilian toll is still being assessed. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.