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Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld calls Sunday's deaths of 16 servicemen in the downing of a U.S. helicopter "tragic," but says "in a long hard war, we are going to have tragic days as this." U.S. military officials believe the transport helicopter was likely downed by a shoulder-fired missile. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is claiming leadership of Iraq's majority sect and demanding the withdrawal of American forces. His supporters have clashed with U.S. troops and rival factions in the Shiite strongholds of southern Iraq. Sadr, son of a revered Shiite leader, presents a growing challenge to U.S. authorities in Baghdad. Hear NPR's Deborah Amos.

The U.S. military launches Operation Desert Scorpion, sending soldiers to regions northwest of Baghdad to confiscate illegal weapons and to detain suspected Baath Party loyalists. In Fallujah, where coordinated attacks on American troops have increased in recent weeks, U.S. forces conducting house-to-house searches arrest at least eight suspected militants. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer.

Gunmen pretending to seek emergency medical care kill an American soldier in western Iraq. The death marks the 29th U.S. military fatality in Iraq since President Bush declared an end to hostilities on May 1. U.S. officials report an increase in coordinated attacks carried out by men they describe as trained military professionals. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

U.S. forces raid a Baghdad villa where Saddam Hussein was believed to have sought refuge. At least five Iraqis are killed during the incident, which follows a similar attack on Thursday on a farmhouse in Tikrit, Saddam's hometown and power base. The U.S. military says the "noose is tightening" around the deposed Iraqi dictator. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

Lt. General David McKiernan, the top commander of U.S. ground forces in Iraq, pledges to "aggressively target" crime in Baghdad and restore order to the city. Military officials deny a New York Times report suggesting U.S. forces now have permission to shoot looters, including children, on sight. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

The new civil administrator for Iraq, retired U.S. Gen. Jay Garner, receives a warm reception by Kurds in northern Iraq. Meanwhile, U.S. tanks move into the center of Mosul, a northern town that has seen looting and anarchy since the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime. NPR's Melissa Block talks with NPR's Ivan Watson in Baghdad.

U.S. efforts to enlist security help from allies in postwar Iraq are met with frustration. Turkey, Pakistan and India have said no, citing the need for a new U.N. resolution on the governance of Iraq. But even if the Security Council does pass such a resolution, those nations have grave reservations about sending forces to Iraq. NPR's Steve Inskeep reports.

The U.S. military in Najaf gears up for a major assault on insurgents loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. U.S. forces say they intend to enter Najaf's old city, site of the shrine of the Imam Ali, one of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam. Hear NPR's Noah Adams and Alex Berenson of The New York Times.

Five British citizens are released from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. U.S. officials also revealed the evidence collected against the remaining four British prisoners at Guantanamo, in an effort to counter pressure from the prisoners' families to release those detainees as well. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and David Rennie of London's Daily Telegraph.