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U.S. Marines have moved into the Iraqi city of Kut, which fell with little resistance. NPR's Steve Inskeep spent an afternoon at a checkpoint just outside of Kut, where Marines stood guard trying to prevent Iraqi fighters from fleeing the city. The experience at the checkpoint hints at the challenges U.S. forces face now that central authority has collapsed.

NPR's Melissa Block talks with Barham Salih, the prime minister of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan about the aspirations of the Kurds.

Kurdish commanders say their fighters will withdraw from Kirkuk after working with U.S. forces to gain control of the oil center in northern Iraq. Turkey is uncomfortable with a continued Kurdish presence in Kirkuk. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says more peacekeeping forces may be needed to maintain order in Iraq. He says no decisions have been made, but suggests other nations may supply some of their own forces to provide security as Iraq moves to form a new government. Hear Dana Priest of The Washington Post.

The New York band The Sharp Things employs a long list of instruments. Strings, wind, and brass contribute as much to their music as guitar, bass, and drums. Their debut album is Here Comes The Sharp Things. Chris Nickson reviews.

Sporadic battles continue in northern Iraq. In the Kurdish-controlled town of Sulamaniyah, many fighters loyal to Saddam Hussein move though the area disguised as civilians. NPR's Juan Williams talks to Michael Ware of Time magazine.

Host Liane Hansen talks to Covita and Christopher Moroney, founder and artistic director of the San Antonio Vocal Arts Ensemble, also known as SAVAE. Their new CD, Ancient Echoes (Rock Paper Scissors), features music and prayers from the time of Jesus to Jerusalem's Second Temple.

The Pentagon has issued its pack of cards on the dirty dozens who kept Saddam in power. But aside from a few jokers -- the most recent being Saddam's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim Hasan -- few have turned up. Where are they? NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports.

Jay Garner, the retired general appointed by the Bush administration to oversee Iraq's reconstruction, arrives in Baghdad. Garner says his first priority is to restore basic services and rebuild damaged infrastructure. Garner's visit comes amid reports that two senior members of the Saddam Hussein regime are in U.S. custody. Hear NPR's Jackie Northam.

NPR's Jackie Northam in Baghdad reports on the emergence of new political parties in Iraq, each trying to fill the vacuum left by the ouster of Saddam Hussein's regime. Political party offices are sprouting up all over the capital, representing Islamist groups as well as leftists, monarchists and former high-ranking military officers.