As of Tuesday, July 3, 2007, at least 3,584 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,947 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday urged its partners in the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to band together to ensure instability in Iraq did not spill over into the region.
The US administration is seeking a deal with Congress to pull large numbers of troops out of Iraq while installing a smaller, long-term contingent to ensure stability, a report said Tuesday.
The US military warned Turkey Tuesday against destabilizing northern Iraq by carrying out a threatened cross-border raid on Kurdish rebels.
Security forces in northern Iraq's Kurdistan, the heartland of the Kurdish minority long tormented by Saddam Hussein, routinely torture detainees with beatings and electric shocks and hold hundreds of prisoners for long periods without charge, a human rights group said Tuesday.
Iraq's cabinet approved changes to a draft hydrocarbon law on Tuesday and sent it to parliament for immediate debate, taking a big step towards meeting a key political target set by the United States.
The United States military said Tuesday it is investigating "credible allegations" of wrongdoing by US Marines in Iraq during fighting in Fallujah three years ago.
President George W. Bush on Tuesday refused to rule out a pardon for former White House aide Lewis "Scooter" Libby, a day after sparing him from prison in a case that helped seal his Iraq legacy and gave ammunition to Democrats.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Cabinet approved a draft oil law sought by the U.S. to boost reconciliation between Iraq's Sunnis and Shiites and the Iraqi parliament planned to debate the measure Wednesday.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is reportedly seeking a political deal in Washington to trade off troop cuts in Iraq for support for a long-term, smaller presence there.