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Amid reports of large-scale kidnappings, Iraqi security forces raid houses believed to house Sunni militants holding Shiite hostages. The sectarian violence prompted Iraqi Interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to appeal for calm in the region.

President Jalal Talabani says the bodies of more than 50 people have been hauled out of the Tigris River, and a provincial governor says more than 15 Iraqi Guardsmen have been discovered shot dead in a soccer stadium.

While war is still raging in Baghdad and Mosul, U.S. commanders have established some calm in parts of the Iraq countryside. Iraqis, including local Baathist heavyweights from the Saddam years, have stepped forward to fill such key positions as mayor and police chief. But to assert their authority, they feel they need more money from U.S. officials. At a meeting in Hammam al-Alil, a town south of Mosul, a rural police chief has learned that he can't have $400,000 to paint his station.

Sunday morning, the committee working on drafting the new Iraqi constitution announced they might ask for a 30-day extension. Host Liane Hansen speaks with NPR's Philip Reeves in Baghdad.

Despite an extended deadline, there is little visible progress toward a constitution for Iraq. While some involved say a resolution is near, others cite "profound" differences between competing groups.

The judge conceded that weapons like AR-15s are commonly used by criminals, but said the guns are importantly also owned by people who obey the law and feel they need firearms to protect themselves.

Recent violence in Iraq reflects continuing resiliency among various groups of insurgents. Meanwhile, arguments over how much power to give Sunni Muslim politicians has slowed the development of the fledgling Iraqi government.

Two bombs explode in different parts of Baghdad, killing three people and adding to a recent rash of violence. Nearly 30 people died Friday after a series of explosions in the Iraqi capital.

Iraqi insurgents kidnap a Western contractor, identified as Australian Douglas Wood, amid an upsurge of violence in Iraq. Two bombs explode in Baghdad Monday morning. More than 100 people, including 11 U.S. soldiers, have been killed in the last four days.

Three apparently coordinated bombings in Baghdad kill more than 40 people and leave scores injured. Two of the attacks targeted a crowded bus station in rush hour. Elsewhere, 11 members of the Iraqi security services were killed.