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The federal government is about to select several U.S. firms to oversee the rebuilding of Iraq. Some say it's unseemly for American firms to earn a profit repairing damage inflicted by the U.S. military. European companies were shut out from the bidding process. NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports.

The first 400 recruits for the new Iraqi army begin basic training under U.S. supervision at a base east of Baghdad. The recruits are under heavy guard for fear that Iraqi resistance fighters might attack. U.S. officials say they hope to have a division of 12,000 troops within a year. NPR's Anne Garrels reports.

Anti-war protests are held in many U.S. and world cities. The White House says a weekend summit between President Bush and two key allies seeks a peaceful resolution to the Iraq issue. But senior administration officials tell The Washington Post it's too late for diplomacy. And U.S. bombers take out an Iraqi radar facility. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

A crowd of Iraqis is killed in an explosion at a mosque in Fallujah. Iraqi civilians say the blast was caused by a U.S. bomb or missile, but American military officials deny involvement and say it was likely caused when explosives stored near the mosque went off. In Baghdad, at least four U.S. troops are wounded when their vehicles explode. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

In a speech to the nation, President Bush says Iraq is now "the central front" in the U.S. war on terrorism -- and that he "will spend what is necessary" to win the war. He says he will ask Congress for $87 billion to support the effort in the coming year. He urges U.S. allies to help with security in Iraq. Hear the speech, and coverage anchored by NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Saddam Hussein's sons Uday and Qusay are buried near Tikrit, the former Iraqi dictator's home town. U.S. forces continue to be targets for resistance, with one soldier killed and three wounded in a rocket-propelled grenade attack Friday night. And an Iraqi woman -- apparently a bystander -- dies when U.S. forces fire back after a bomb is thrown at an American military convoy. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels.

The commander of U.S. forces in Iraq says the insurgency is increasingly targeting civilians in what may be a strategic shift in tactics. Over the past week, eight American and European civilian aid workers were killed in three separate ambushes. Attacks against Iraqis working with the U.S.-led occupation have also become common. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson.

An internal Army report on the abuse of detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad cites several civilian contractors suspected of participating in the incidents. But legal experts say it's unclear whether these contractors would be prosecuted in a U.S. military court, an Iraqi civil court or a U.S. federal court. Hear NPR's Jackie Northam.

Marines uncover suicide-bomber belts along with other weapons in besieged Fallujah. Also found were documents suggesting that foreign Muslim fighters have come to Iraq to attack the U.S.-led forces. Despite criticizing the U.S. strategy in the region, the Iraqi Governing Council continues to negotiate a truce. Hear Eric Niiler from member station KPBS and NPR's Philip Reeves.

U.S. Marines target a mosque complex in the besieged town of Fallujah with rockets and a large bomb, killing at least 25 people and possibly as many as 40. Insurgents were reportedly using the mosque to stage attacks on U.S.-led forces. Hear NPR's Michele Norris and Eric Niiler of member station KPBS, who is with the First Marine Division.