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Iraqi television broadcasts an alleged statement from Saddam Hussein, urging Baghdad's residents to fight U.S. forces with their hands if necessary. Hoping to avoid drawn-out urban warfare, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appeals to Iraqi soldiers to surrender, saying they "can still survive and help to rebuild a free Iraq." NPR's Scott Horsley reports.

War planners say the ability of Saddam Hussein's elite Republican Guard to resist the allied ground assault and aerial bombardment will determine the length of the conflict in Iraq. The guard is considered intelligent and adaptive, but some analysts say that without air support, the units are no match for U.S. forces. Hear military analyst Anthony Cordesman.

As the siege of Baghdad nears, the city mysteriously plunges into darkness in the first widespread power outage since the war began. Streets are empty, and southern and western roads out of the city are blocked. Iraq's information ministry maintains U.S. forces aren't within 100 miles of capital. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels.

American Thomas Hamill, who escaped from his Iraqi captors over the weekend, is on his way home by way of Germany, where he will be checked by doctors. After learning Hamill was safe, residents of Macon, Miss., began celebrating the U.S. civilian contract worker's escape. Melanie Peeples reports.

The international community prepares to aid Haiti's return to stability after the exodus of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who stepped aside after months of increasingly violent protests and demonstrations. the United States is preparing to send troops as part of a U.N. effort to stabilize the Caribbean nation. Looting and celebrations were reported to follow the news of Aristide's departure. Hear NPR's Nancy Marshall.

U.S. forces in Iraq conduct more than 20 raids and detain at least 60 men in an attempt to crush armed resistance and halt a recent spate of deadly attacks on American troops. Operation Sidewinder comes a day after two American soldiers were found dead in a region north of Baghdad. Hear NPR's Kate Seelye.

The U.S. military will soon use bases in Romania and Bulgaria to train and stage forces for quick reaction to potential trouble spots in the Mideast and elsewhere. It would be the first in a series of moves to establish more rapid-reaction forces on smaller bases around the world -- part of the biggest military realignment since the end of the Cold War. Hear NPR's Eric Westervelt.

Paul Bremer, the new U.S. administrator for Iraq, says restoring law and order and reviving the country's economy are his top priorities. He points to increased police patrols and a jump in the arrest of petty criminals as signs the situation is already improving. He also vows to purge the government of former Baath party officials. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia says it will close for at least four days, due to fears of more attacks on unspecified targets following the May 12 suicide bombings in Riyadh. Saudi authorities suspect al Qaeda is responsible for the attacks. And the FBI issues a bulletin warning state and local agencies that the terrorist network could strike in the United States. Hear NPR's Kate Seelye.

A suicide car bomber struck a U.S. intelligence safe house in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil Tuesday, killing at least three people and wounding about 50 others, including several Americans. Until now, the Kurdish-controlled city had been largely peaceful. Hear NPR's Emily Harris.