War in Iraq

Just back from his fifth trip to Iraq, Republican Sen. Norm Coleman says the U.S. goal should be to play a "secondary" military role in Iraq by the end of this year. (01/07/2008)

Joshua Anderson was a life-long resident of Jordan, in southern Minnesota. Pfc. Anderson was killed last week when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle. (01/04/2008)

2007 was a deadly year in Iraq, and 2008 has already started with a suicide bombing that killed more than 30 people. Ambassador Barbara Bodine joins Midday to discuss the political, military, economic and humanitarian situation in Iraq. (Midday, 01/02/2008)

The year 2007 proved to be the deadliest year for U.S. troops fighting in Iraq, with 899 troops killed. Sixteen members of the military with strong Minnesota ties died in Iraq and Afghanistan this past year, along with a military contractor from the state. (12/31/2007)

A young Minnesota man, who joined the National Guard to earn money for college, talks about getting back to civilian life after being deployed to Iraq for 16 months. (12/21/2007)

A national soldier reintegration program, which got its start with the Minnesota National Guard, is on its way to approval in the U.S. Senate. The "yellow ribbon' program is intended to offer medical, career and educational support to troops who come home from war. (Midday, 12/13/2007)

A soldier who lived for two years outside the northern Minnesota town of Bovey before he joined the Army and went to Iraq loved video games and comic books, his brother said. (12/11/2007)

Iraqi-American Abbas Mehdi is back in Minnesota after spending 14 months helping rebuild his country's economy. (Midday, 12/06/2007)

Another Minnesota soldier died this week in Baghdad. Sgt. 1st Class John Tobiason of Hayfield was 42. Little is known about how Tobiason died. It's reported that he stepped out of a tent and shots were fired. (11/30/2007)

Abbas Mehdi, a former Iraqi cabinet member and St. Cloud State University professor predicts big problems for Iraq as thousands of refugees begin streaming back into that country. Mehdi recently returned from an extended stay in Iraq. (11/30/2007)

Blackwater Worldwide is perhaps one of the higher-profile private military contractors in Iraq, but they're not the only one. Blackwater's involvement in the killing of 17 civilians in Iraq and the subsequent investigations highlight the problem holding soldiers for hire accountable when things go wrong. (Midmorning, 11/30/2007)

A former sheriff's deputy from Chisago County in Minnesota has been killed while working as a security contractor in Iraq. (11/27/2007)

While 2007 was bloody year in Iraq, both Iraqi and American deaths have dropped significantly in recent months. The U.S. military says shootings, bombings and other killings are down 55 percent since June. Can we make the current lull in violence permanent? (Midday, 11/20/2007)

Upon returning from Iraq this year, nearly half of the soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division discovered they weren't eligible for full education benefits under the GI Bill. More than 600 soldiers have had their eligibility restored so far. (11/16/2007)

A longtime military correspondent and newspaper columnist discusses the challenges facing America's armed forces today. (Midday, 11/09/2007)