War in Iraq

A Pulitzer prize-winning journalist and Baghdad bureau chief comes home after five years of reporting from Iraq. John Burns shares his hopes for the country, his thoughts on covering the war, and his feelings about the wife he leaves behind in Baghdad. ( 08/15/2007)

Gen. George Casey served as the top commander for U.S. troops in Iraq from July 1, 2004 to Feb. 10, 2007, when Gen. David Petraeus replaced him. Casey is now Chief of Staff of the United States Army. He speaks about the status of the Iraq war at the National Press Club. (Midday, 08/14/2007)

Thomas Ricks, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and author of "FIASCO: The American Military Adventure in Iraq," says the Bush administration's troop surge is not working. (Midday, 08/13/2007)

Army Staff Sgt. Jacob Thompson, who grew up in North Mankato, is the latest Minnesota solider to die in Iraq. Thompson was killed this week in Baqubah during a house-to-house search. (08/08/2007)

The GAO, an investigative arm of Congress, says 30 percent of weapons given to Iraqi forces are now missing. Previous government audits also have found small arms might be falling into the hands of insurgents. (Midmorning, 08/07/2007)

A group called Vets for Freedom says it will air television ads throughout much of Minnesota thanking Republican Sen. Norm Coleman for his support of the president's strategy in Iraq. (08/02/2007)

The hot line is designed to make it easier for veterans to find services or to get immediate crisis intervention. Veterans who call the line will be transferred to the proper agency for help. (08/01/2007)

In a recent speech at the Chautauqua Institution, Iraq scholar Ellen Laipson examines how the war in Iraq is affecting Iraqi people, and what the future holds for the country. (Midday, 07/31/2007)

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, Congress' only Muslim, made a weekend trip to Iraq, where a pair of sheiks urged him to help counter al-Qaida's vision of Islam. (07/30/2007)

The withdrawal of U.S. troops after the 1991 Persian Gulf War took seven months. And no one was shooting at them as they tried to head home. (07/27/2007)

Most of the 2,600 Minnesota National Guard soldiers who spent an extended tour in Iraq are settling back in at home. As part of our coverage of their deployment, we've been following the Inskeep family. (07/27/2007)

A specialized vehicle saves lives against roadside bombs in Iraq, according to the troops who have used it. But only recently has the military decided to order enough to cover more Marines and Army personnel. Why it took so long says a lot about how the war in Iraq challenges the American military structure. (Midmorning, 07/27/2007)

Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman and Gov. Tim Pawlenty are urging the Defense Department to change a policy aimed at giving some breathing room to returning National Guard and Reserve troops, saying it prevents some soldiers from getting the kinds of integration services they need. (07/24/2007)

As part of our coverage of Minnesota National Guard troops serving in Iraq, we have been checking in with Nicky Inskeep, whose husband, Jason, just returned from Iraq. Nicky is also the Guard and just finished her annual training; we asked her to share her thoughts while she was there. (07/24/2007)

The return home from Iraq for members of the Minnesota Army National Guard's 1st Brigade Combat Team is winding down. A planeload of Guardsmen and women got a homecoming welcome back Tuesday morning from the Secretary of the Army and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty. (07/17/2007)