Last week, an intense battle raged in Fallujah, a city in central Iraq where about 200,000 people live. As U.S. forces fought to restore stability to the city, Iraqi rebels resisted what they consider to be a foreign invasion. About 600 Iraqis were killed in the fighting, as were eight U.S. Marines. "I can't believe what we have gone through," said Fallujah resident Hassan al-Halbousi.
By Thursday, the Marines had negotiated an agreement to pull back troops from Fallujah. An Iraqi force was set to handle security afterward. Still, U.S. warplanes continued to drop bombs on key targets.
Although the U.S. plans to hand over control of the country's government to Iraqis on June 30, the transition may be rough. Last week, Iraqis considered designs for a new national flag, but some objected to the flag's design.
Many Iraqis also object to the continuing presence of American soldiers. Polls show that an increasing number of Americans believe the U.S. was wrong to take military action against Iraq. According to a New York Times/CBS News poll, 46% of Americans now say the U.S. should have stayed out of Iraq.