Looking ahead

After Iraq's first free elections in half a century and the release of results, Iraqi leaders now turn their focus to the process of building a democratic government amid an ongoing insurgency.

Iraqi Progress

June1, 2004 Iraqi governing counisil is dissolved and news government leaders are named

June28, 2004 Power to govern is handed to Iraqi's interim government and the Coalition Provisional Authority is dissolved

January 30,2005 Iraqi's voted for a transitional National Assembly, which picked a president and will draft a constitution shortly

August 15, 2005 Deadline for the National Assembly to draft a permanent constitution

October 15,2005 Draft of the constitution is sent to the Iraqi people for approval in a general referendum

December 15, Elections for a permanent government if the constitution is approved

December 31, 2005 The new government will assume office

Weapons

An array of arms were aimed at U.S. and coalition warplanes and ground forces

Commanders

Iraqi military leaders are either dead and on the run from coalition forces

Air Force

Devastated by the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqi air force never even took to the skies

Army

Concentrated near Baghdad before the war began, the Iraqi army either fell apart or were destroyed by coalition forces

Navy

A paucity of military ships and sailors was unable to defend a sparse coastline

Security Services

The security agencies charged with maintaining the regime of Saddam Hussein fought a guerilla war and continue to harass coalition forces