REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

• As the Iraqi government continues to work to improve security in Baghdad, it declared a state of emergency and established a curfew in the capital. The curfew may have had some effect, as Baghdad was relatively calm on Sunday after a violent week.

• The U.S. Army has charged three soldiers in connection with the deaths of three Iraqis who were in military custody in northern Iraq last month.

• A shoe bomber blew himself up inside an important Shiite mosque during Friday prayers, killing at least 10 people and wounding 20, as violence persisted in the capital despite a massive security operation aimed at restoring order.

• U.S. forces raided the home of a major Sunni cleric, detaining him for several hours and sparking anger among Sunni Iraqis. Sheikh Jamal Abdel Karim al-Dabaan was released quickly and the U.S. apologized, but the damage may already be done.

• The top American commander in Iraq believes Iran is providing aid to the Iraqi insurgency, providing "weapons, IED technology and training to Shia extremist groups in Iraq."

• Iraqi forces will take over responsibility for security of Maysan province in southern Iraq from British forces later this year, though a specific timeline has yet to be announced.

• The United States has found 500 chemical weapons in Iraq since 2003. This revelation will do little to buck up the Iraq WMD storyline, however, as the shells found thus far have all been old and probably predate the 1991 war.

• Thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops met little resistance Sunday as they planted new outposts in southern Ramadi, seeking to choke off supplies getting to insurgents who control large swaths of Iraq's biggest Sunni Arab city.

• Two U.S. soldiers are dead after having been captured in an action south of Baghdad last Sunday. Reports claim the men were tortured before being killed, but the United States would not confirm those claims.

RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY

• Through Paris Club agreements, Iraq has been forgiven 80% of its debt to Russia - leaving only $800M out of a total $13B debt.

• The Japanese government has announced the release of 3.348B yen for Iraq to establish service projects in al-Muthana province.

• The Ireland Iraq Trade Association (IITA) has begun cooperating with the Kingdom of Bahrain. Bahrain is the main financial center for the Gulf area.

IRAQI POLITICS

• Iraq's National Security Advisor, Mouwafak al-Rubaie, says that Iraq needs to start taking responsibility for its own decisions or risk becoming weak by relying only on foreign advisors to make its decisions.

• Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld claims that members of the Sunni insurgency are reaching out to the Iraqi government, news that may indicate the Iraqi government will be able to co-opt some fraction of the insurgency into the political process.

• This week's Carnival of the Liberated is up.

THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

• Australian troops shot and killed a bodyguard of Iraq's trade minister, and Australian wheat deals with Iraq may also be a casualty of the shooting.

• Japan will withdraw its Ground Self-Defense Forces from Iraq, but the government insists that its support of the Iraq mission will continue through other channels. This will mark the end of the first deployment of Japanese ground forces outside Japan since the close of World War II, other than UN peacekeeping missions.

• The U.S. Senate defeated a proposal to begin a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by a 86-13 vote.

ETCETERA

• The prosecution in the trial of Saddam Hussein began giving its closing arguments Monday, launching the final phase of the eight-month-old trial against the former leader and seven ex-members of his regime for crimes against humanity.

• Saddam ended his one-meal hunger strike in protest of his lawyer's killing.

• Do you have your GI Bracelet? Many military families fall into financial hardship when the breadwinner is injured or killed. The entire purchase price of the GI Bracelet is donated to support our troops and their families! Please join us to give back to these brave people in their time of need.

• The troops are still there. So is the Winds of Change.NET consolidated directory of ways you can support the troops: American, Australian, British, Canadian & Polish. Anyone out there with more information, contact us!

• Don't forget Chief Wiggles' Toys for Iraq drive!

• Many American troops have taken it upon themselves to reconstruct schools and gather learning tools for the children of Iraq. Their efforts have been met with immense gratitude from the local Iraqis and their children. You can help too! Visit Operation Iraqi Children and get involved.

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