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In what many see as the launch of his re-election campaign, President Bush aggressively defends his policies in a speech before the Republican Governors Association. Bush takes aim at Democratic frontrunner Sen. John Kerry, suggesting Kerry would raise taxes and offer unsteady leadership in the face of terrorist threats. Hear NPR's Don Gonyea.

An internal Army report details "sadistic, blatant and wanton abuses" of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. The report, completed two months ago, came to light following the dissemination last week of images of U.S. military personnel humiliating inmates at the prison. Seven U.S. soldiers have been reprimanded for the abuses. Hear NPR's Jackie Northam.

A suicide car bombing at a checkpoint in central Baghdad kills Izzadine Saleem, also known as Abdel-Zahraa Othman, head of Iraq's governing council and a prominent Shiite leader. Saleem's death comes six weeks before the planned transfer of political power to Iraqis and is a blow to U.S. stabilization efforts. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and NPR's Peter Kenyon.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld testifies before Congress Friday about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in U.S. custody, one day after the U.S. House passed a resolution condemning the incidents. Rumsfeld's failure to inform Congress of the abuse before it was reported in the media has angered many lawmakers. Democrats intensify calls for him to resign. Hear NPR's Andrea Seabrook.

A new Department of Defense report criticizes the way the military handles internal cases of sexual assault. A task force examined how the military cares for sexual assault victims, and investigated cases in which troops are accused of attacking their colleagues. The report calls for a wide range of improvements including rape prevention, criminal investigation and victim counseling. NPR's John Burnett reports.

The Russian-backed president of Chechnya and at least five others were killed Sunday in an explosion in the Chechen capital, Grozny. Among the dozens of wounded was Russia's senior military commander in the region. The bomb went off in a stadium where President Ahmed Kadyrov was attending celebrations marking the defeat of Nazi Germany. Hear NPR's Cheryl Corley and Kim Murphy of The Los Angeles Times.

U.N. Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is considering the make-up of an interim Iraqi government set to take over June 30 from the U.S.-led occupation authority. Analysts and politicians say Brahimi may be forced to compromise to the point that the new government's authority will be restricted, resulting in a largely symbolic transfer of power. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

U.S. troops and Iraqi police raid the home and offices of the Ahmed Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress party. Chalabi, a member of the U.S.-appointed governing council, condemned the raid. An Iraqi judge said it was carried out on the basis of an arrest warrant for several Iraqis wanted for unlawful detentions and other crimes. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

In the first of several speeches attacking President Bush's national security policies, Sen. John Kerry accused the president of failing to create an adequate multinational coalition to support efforts in Iraq. But Kerry's criticisms seemed constrained to many, a fact that analysts attribute to Kerry's effort to win swing voters by avoiding a hard-line stance. Hear NPR's David Welna.

A truce between the U.S. military and supporters of a radical Shiite cleric in the shrine cities of Najaf and Kufa appears to be holding. In other parts of Iraq, violence has continued over the weekend. According to the U.S. military, six people were killed when a car bomb exploded near a base north of Baghdad. NPR's Emily Harris reports.