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The article outlines the political debate surrounding the withdrawal of the American troops from the Iraq War. A Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress wants to set a time-table for U.S. combat troops to leave Iraq, but U.S. president George W. Bush is expected to veto such a bill. Senator John McCain comments on the ramifications of pulling the troops. Topics discussed include refugees, civil war, and troop surges. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates comments on military tour extensions.

Reports on civilian casualties in Iraq and how the United States military is addressing the issue. Statistics on the number of people killed in terrorist and insurgents' attacks and U.S. airstrikes; Idea of Iraqis that the U.S. can stop collateral damage, street crime, and terrorist attacks; Indication that the State Department has asked the Pentagon to curtail airstrikes; View of the military that strikes are effective and have reduced American casualties; Mention of reparations; Comments of Iraq's deputy health minister Ammar al-Saffar and others.

Reports on the recent hostile forces that have been attacking in Iraq, and explores the possibility of foreigners being responsible for some of them. Breakdown of the different anti-American groups and the leaders of each group that have been linked or could be a part of the recent attacks in Iraq; Details of the recent attacks, including the latest intelligence from the Bush Administration and the military; Efforts by the intelligence community, such as the United States Central Intelligence Agency, to figure out who is behind each attack; Barriers for soldiers trying to communicate with Iraqis; Breakdown of the various ethnic groups inside of Iraq and their relationship with the American-backed alliance.

Reports on the training of the Iraqi Civilian Defense Corps. Recent problems that have been encountered while training Iraqis; Details of the training; Reasons for the training of Iraqis, such as the increasing American casualties; Efforts to fight the growing insurgency inside of Iraq; Possibility of foreign fighters inside of Iraq.

Focuses on the violence inflicted on Iraqis who cooperate with the American military by other Iraqis. Salary earned by Fayek Kudayar Abbas as a translator for U.S. troops, a job which made him the enemy of many Iraqi who felt he was cooperating with the occupying forces; Comments from Abbas regarding the lack of action taken by his neighbors who witnessed him being shot by anti-American insurgents; Number of people killed and injured at a bombing outside the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad, intended to discourage Arabs from cooperating with U.S. troops; Damage and looting done to the embassy, resulting in anger at American troops for not responding in time.

The article discusses a court case wherein an Iraqi plaintiff seeks compensation for property damage during the Battle of Fallujah which involves the U.S. military forces' occupation of his home in the country. It mentions that the plaintiff rejected the 6,500 dollar compensation given to him and sued in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims (CFC). It also notes that the court decides to dismiss the case for insufficient subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim for relief.

Focuses on the violence inflicted on Iraqis who cooperate with the American military by other Iraqis. Salary earned by Fayek Kudayar Abbas as a translator for U.S. troops, a job which made him the enemy of many Iraqi who felt he was cooperating with the occupying forces; Comments from Abbas regarding the lack of action taken by his neighbors who witnessed him being shot by anti-American insurgents; Number of people killed and injured at a bombing outside the Jordanian embassy in Baghdad, intended to discourage Arabs from cooperating with U.S. troops; Damage and looting done to the embassy, resulting in anger at American troops for not responding in time.

Focuses on the return of Afghan refugees to their homeland in Afghanistan. Details of the life of the Afghans before the wars and drought in the country; Damages brought by the occupation of the country by the Soviet Union; Effect of droughts on the lives of Afghans.

Offers a look at the role of Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the conflict in Iraq, 2004. Conflicts between followers of al-Sadr and the United States soldiers; Agreement between al-Sadr and the coalition forces that requires U.S. troops to pull back and be replaced by Iraq's security forces; Reaction of citizens to the bombing of the Shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq; Claim that the United States has lost the support of Iraqi civilians in southern Iraq.

Reports on the reactions of Iraqis to the activities of American forces in Iraq. Aggressive tactics used by American troops to contain Iraqi insurgents; Numbers of deaths of innocent Iraqis; Concerns about detention of Iraqis by American troops; Complaints regarding destruction of buildings and family homes; Relevance of the Geneva Conventions.

Focuses on a raid of a house in Fallujah, Iraq where a Baathist named Taha and comrades were holding a meeting. Background of the recent violence in Iraq; Role of the town of Fallujah in the violence; Details of the raid, including illegal weapons found; Other arrests made and illegal weapons found in relation to the raid.

Contends that while winning the war against Iraq may be fairly easy, securing the peace in Iraq after the war is a very difficult task. Desire of U.S. officials to withdraw troops from postwar Iraq in as little as 30 to 90 days after the removal of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein; Future of Iraq Project's assertion that a long-term occupation is unwise; Paired-down view of nation-building which emphasizes self-reliance; Critics' opinions that the cost and terms of occupation in Iraq is much greater than U.S. President George W. Bush is claiming; Fear of a civil war or postwar bloodbath.

This article focuses on the 1991 Yugoslav War. The war has resulted in some 50,000 deaths, more than two million homeless and as much as 60 billion dollars in property damage. Numerous Croatian, Serbian and Muslim villages have disappeared from the map in the fighting. The war is increasingly being felt beyond the borders of what was once Yugoslavia. Germany, which had taken in some 125,000 refugees as of late April 1992, subsequently closed its borders to refugees lacking German visas, but relaxed the restriction on July 20, 1992. The number of refugees in Germany has since shot up to 200,000. Italy, which has already accepted 7,000 refugees, is starting to brace for what its politicians fear may become a full-scale exodus if and when the war spreads to the Albanian-populated Kosovo region of the former Yugoslavia. Consequently, there is a serious threat that the conflict will spread to Kosovo and Macedonia and that it will draw in Albania, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. If that eventuality is not averted, the damage to west European and U.S. interests will rise considerably. Indeed, if these powers were to be drawn into the conflict, their economies would further be strained and the democratization process under way in places like Albania and Bulgaria would become more tenuous.

The article focuses on the damage claims against the U.S. Army that resulted from the war in Europe. The claims service in Europe has awarded an estimated $5 million to deserving foreigners. The Foreign claims Act of February 1942 was passed by the U.S. Congress to foster good will abroad by meeting all the claims against the U.S. Armed Forces. The U.S. Army has begun investigating claims by German civilians against the Army.

The article reports on the working plans of fire insurance companies and the U.S. government addressing war damage. While War Damage Corp. assumed 90% of any net loss, some underwriters feel that enemy raid insurance is going to be more patriotic than profitable. Under the working plan, fire insurance companies will act as agents of War Damage Corp. in writing policies covering damage to property from enemy attack. Direct property loss or damage from enemy attack, military, naval or aerial will be covered by their policies.

Comments on the financial obligations imposed on Germany by the League of Nations and the Reparations Commission for damages it caused on countries it invaded during World War I. Estimates of the amount of money that the country will pay on the first year of reparations payment; Implementation of measures to keep prices down by curtailing credit; Indications that Germany will become the economic danger-spot in Europe.

This article presents information on the book "Ambassador Morgenthau's Story," by Henry Morgenthau. Henry Morgenthau, U.S. ambassador to Turkey, has limited himself to telling his own story, though, he purports to reveal important diplomatic secrets, conversations with former German Ambassador at Constantinople, Turkey. The contents of Morgenthau's book, all questions of taste and the professional code aside, have considerable interest. He represented about ten belligerent nations at the Porte, and therefore had some extremely difficult work of detail. His was the task of saving the subjects of belligerent nations from Turkish vindictiveness.

The article discusses the military dominance and diplomatic tactics used by Colonel Moammarel Gadaffi's loyalists to derail the rebellion in Libya. It informs that most of the fighters, who were fighting against Gadaffi's dictatorship, were engineers, lawyers, dentists and farmers and none of them had any military training. It also informs that majority of the fight was over oil export terminals along the coast, with opposition forces trying to win a critical revenue source.

Discusses the concept of Iraqification and the reconstruction of Iraq. Details of what Iraqification means; Plans for the increased training schedule of Iraqi soldiers and police officers; Problems with the handing over Iraq to the Iraqis, including more insurgency; Reasons for the increased training, such as the increasing American casualties; Comparison of the Iraq War to the Vietnamese Conflict.

Presents an update on the various projects being repaired around Iraq. Decades of neglect and weeks of massive bombing have shredded Iraq's infrastructure. Bechtel's $680 million contract will barely put a dent in repairing it all. Bechtel has hired Al-Bunnia Trading Co. to build a bypass on Highway 10 near the bombed-out Al Mat Bridge. Nearly 3,000 trucks cross daily to deliver food and medicine to Baghdad from Jordan. Bechtel is setting up an outpost near Mosul, where its assessment group had identified four bridges that must be repaired to accommodate humanitarian aid. Southern Iraq's five power stations light up Baghdad. Fixing 35 damaged towers on the two 400-kilovolt transmission lines that run up to Baghdad is key to solving the capital's power shortage. In the central city of Al Hillah, Bechtel is setting up one of five base camps for its field engineers. Bechtel has its sights on a water treatment plant and pumping station in Basra. Most of Bechtel's efforts so far have focused on Iraq's only deepwater port, at Umm Qasr. The company is dredging, removing shipwrecks and unexploded ordnance and cleaning grain silos.

Presents several letters to the editor about various articles published in previous issues of the periodical "The Nation." Review by Aaron Latham for Jim Hougan's book "Secret Agenda"; Explanation by Latham about his work; Opinion of Kai Bird and Max Holland about efforts of population to relieve the depredations of military occupation.

The article focuses on the decision of President Diosdado Macapagal to change the Independence Day of the Philippines from the fourth day of July to the 12th of June. It states that the President's decision was initiated following the defeat in the House of Representatives of the country's war damages bill, asking the U.S. government an additional 73 million dollars. It notes that Macapagal has also canceled his trip to the U.S. silencing rumors that criticized him for being too pro-American.

The article focuses on the improvement of claims processing in the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). The Veterans Affairs (VA) prepares to launch its new Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) in 2012. The program involves the development of new ratings model where the claims will be processed based on complexity and will be distributed to rating specialists.

This article presents an interview with Iraqi political leader Moqtada al-Sadr concerning his considerable influence on Iraqi politics. Al-Sadr discusses his disagreement with the U.S. military occupation of Iraq and the responsibility of the U.S. government for violence occurring during the occupation. He calls for unity among various sects of Islam and comments on the institution of Islamic religious law in the Iraqi constitution.

Comments on the damage that the U.S. military victory has inflicted in Falluja, Iraq. Results on the experiment on the battle of Falluja; Description of war by U.S. President George W. Bush; Impact of the war on the country.

The reconstruction process in Iraq continues to move slowly. "Long Live Saddam" read the scrawls on the bombed bridge over the Diyala river, one of the two arteries leading out of Baghdad to Basra. Queues of hooting vehicles snake north and south over a makeshift crossing the American army has left in its place. The bridges were quickly rebuilt after the 1991 war, says an angry driver. "Saddam would have done better." Six months after the war, Iraqis do not understand why so little of America's promised reconstruction has materialised. According to USAID, road reconstruction by September amounted to a 1.5km (one-mile) bypass. Of the 49 damaged bridges surveyed by Bechtel, the San Francisco construction company that is being paid by USAID to supervise Iraq's reconstruction, work has begun on only three. In many ways, life for Iraqis is better than it was under Saddam. State employees have seen their salaries rise up to 40-fold. Import duties have collapsed from 400 percent to zero. The detritus of war has been removed, and the streets have sweepers getting $3 a day. But on October 1, 2003, Iraqi troops fired over the heads of protesters demanding jobs, and the continuing violence meant that parents feared sending their children to the schools that reopened this week. Half of Baghdad's 500,000 phone lines are still out of action. Iraqis have to struggle to find evidence of where their oil wealth, and American tax-payers' money, have gone. Much more money will be on its way when, or if, Congress approves U.S. President George W. Bush's multi-billion package ($20.3 billion for Iraq's capital budget, and $51 billion in military logistics). Bechtel says that the $680m it is receiving from USAID amounts to less than 5% of its $16 billion assessment of Iraq's civilian reconstruction needs, and is enough for "critical" projects only.

Reports that occupying U.S. forces in Iraq are facing Iraqi attacks and discontent following liberation. Deaths of coalition soldiers following U.S. President George W. Bush's calling an end to major combat operations; Blame placed on Iranian agents and Baathist saboteurs; Civilian victims in Faluja; Outrage of the Iraqi people toward the occupiers for their failure to fix problems such as the loss of electricity and increases of armed robbery; Need for the creation of a legitimate Iraqi government so that the liberators can go home.

As the reconstruction of Iraq gets underway, a cottage industry has sprung up to facilitate the grab for a piece of the pie. On May 5, 2003, Equity International (EI) will sponsor 'The Iraqi Reconstruction Conference,' where private companies, relief groups and development organizations can network with top government officials and bureaucrats overseeing the rebuilding of Iraq -- an estimated $25 billion to $100 billion undertaking. Early-bird registration for the conference: $245 to $495. Months before a single JDAM struck Baghdad, EI began planning its gathering. EI has held similar reconstruction conferences covering trouble spots from Kosovo and Bosnia to Afghanistan. The man who awards Iraqi contracts, U.S. Agency for International Development boss Andrew Natsios, will speak to EI participants about the oil-well repairs, hospital equipment, road construction, water pipelines and a long list of other needs that companies can profitably fill.

The article reports on the move of U.S. President Barack Obama who addressed the Disabled American Veterans conference held in Orlando, Florida about the decline of the backlog of veterans' claims and the government's efforts to lower the average waiting time to receive the benefits.

The article discusses that as the military shrink, the rate of unemployment among the veterans has increased after 9/11 attack.

The article focuses on the 2012 version of the Stopgap Funding Bill, which includes extra funding for the Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA). Part of the additional funding will be used to hire and train additional claims workers. The proposed budget is 146 million dollars more than the previous year. The VBA is dealing with high volume of claims that continues to grow each year.

The author tells the atrocities suffered by Abu Wael and other Palestinian farmers like him in Beit Hanoun, an Israeli occupied territory in Gaza Strip. The farm owned by Abu Wael had been destroyed when the Israeli army attacked Beit Hanoun in October 2004. His cousin and nephew were killed in the attack. The author notes that the farmers in the territory persistently return to their farms to plant but the Israeli army are also persistent in causing destruction.

The article reports on the compensation sought by residents along Egypt's border with the Gaza Strip for property damaged by air strikes during Israel's battle against the Hamas-run territory. Governor Mohamed Abdel Fadil Shousha of North Sinai, says the Egyptian government was not responsible for the damage which was caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. According to the article, from December 27, 2008 to January 18, 2009, tens of thousands of houses in the Gaza Strip were damaged by air strikes and about 1,500 people were killed.

The author reflects on the importance of recognizing cultural heritage. She discusses the damages experienced by cultural property in Iraq due to the ignorance of military personnel there and explores the improvements being made on this topic. The U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield (USCBS) is discussed as an organization committed to the protection of cultural property. She also encourages heritage professionals to offer training for military personnel in order to prevent damages in the future.

The article focuses on the on going crises in the middle east between the Lebanon, Palestine and Israel. It is said that the on going activities in the middle is part of the Israeli plan to abandon parts of the occupied territories and to annex the rest as formulated by the former Ariel Sharon which was continued by Ehud Olmert. On the other hand, the Israeli government is said to have maid a mistake upon its engagement with Hezbollah without considering the possible resistance.

Talks about the military occupation of the U.S .in Iraq. Amount needed by the U.S. government to repair the damages brought by the war in Iraq; Estimated cost of casualties per week; Several U.S. presidents who asked help from the international community.