What happened
U.S. forces and Iraq's new government made a two-pronged push to break the back of the country's insurgency this week, with soldiers executing a string of raids and government leaders proposing a broad new amnesty offer. Jalal Talabani, the newly named president, said the amnesty program would be part of a peace initiative that could also include the release of militiamen loyal to firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. 'œWith a comprehensive policy,' Talabani said, 'œwe can eradicate terror in the country within months.'
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The fight over jobless benefits
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