In Baghdad, Obama Presses Iraqi Leader to Unite Factions

Iraq’s Newly Open Gays Face Scorn and Murder

By TIMOTHY WILLIAMS and TAREQ MAHER

In a country that remains religious and conservative, the response to a gay subculture has been swift and deadly.

• Former Hussein Aide Surfaces; Iraqi Premier Blames Baathists for Bombings
• A Moment of Heroism After a Blast in Baghdad

Names of the Dead

The Department of Defense has identified 4,259 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. It confirmed the deaths of the following Americans on Tuesday:.

Six Car Bombs Kill at Least 33 in Iraq

By STEVEN LEE MYERS

Three bombs struck markets around Baghdad, but there did not appear to be any obvious pattern to the attacks.

More Drone Attacks in Pakistan Planned

By ERIC SCHMITT and CHRISTOPHER DREW

Despite threats from the Taliban, the U.S. may expand missile strikes to another haven for militants, senior administration officials said.

Afghanistan: Attack Misses Merkel

By NICHOLAS KULISH

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany made a surprise visit to troops in Afghanistan on Monday but left about 20 minutes before a rocket attack on the base in Kunduz.

Violence Plagues Aid Crews, Study Says

By REUTERS

Soaring violence in Somalia and Afghanistan helped make 2008 the most dangerous year on record for aid workers, with 122 killed while carrying out their work.

News Analysis

Time Is Short as U.S. Presses a Reluctant Pakistan

By JANE PERLEZ

In seeking an alliance with Pakistan against militants, America is courting a Muslim nation whose military is fixated on India.

Palestinians Are Focus in Abbas Visit to Baghdad

By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, visited Iraq for the first time since the American invasion in 2003.

Europeans Offer Few New Troops for Afghanistan

By STEVEN ERLANGER and HELENE COOPER

NATO gave President Obama a tepid troop commitment, underlining deep divisions on the war within the alliance.

• Riots Erupt Near Bridge That Links 2 Countries
• The Caucus: Obama Calls for Global Coordination
• Photographs

Navy Lawyer Who Faulted Guantánamo Is Reassigned

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

An official said the lawyer, who was critical of defense tactics for detainees, has been removed from the case of a Canadian accused of killing an American soldier in Afghanistan.

Ex-Blackwater Workers May Return to Iraq Jobs

By ROD NORDLAND

Blackwater Worldwide became a symbol to many Iraqis of arrogance and violence, but many of the company’s old guards will be back on the job in Iraq.

• Times Topics: Blackwater Worldwide

Iraq: U.S. Attacks Tribal Fighters

By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON

American aircraft fired on four armed men, thought to be members of an Awakening Council, after they were seen placing a roadside bomb in Taji, north of Baghdad, the military said.

Uzbekistan: New U.S. Supply Line

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The United States signed an agreement with Uzbekistan on Friday allowing nonlethal supplies for the war in Afghanistan to cross Uzbek territory, the Pentagon said.

Afghanistan: 20 Die in Hostilities

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Coalition and Afghan forces killed 12 militants and one civilian in Logar Province, south of the capital, late Thursday, a police official said.

Judge Rules Some Prisoners at Bagram Have Right of Habeas Corpus

By CHARLIE SAVAGE

A federal judge ruled that some prisoners held by the United States military in Afghanistan have a right to challenge their imprisonment.

U.S. Seeks $3 Billion for Pakistani Military

By ERIC SCHMITT and THOM SHANKER

The Pentagon proposed a five-year plan to equip and train Pakistan’s forces for counterinsurgency.

Petraeus Warns About Militants’ Threat to Pakistan

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

A Senate panel pressed Gen. David H. Petraeus and other officials on how the Obama administration will measure progress in the region and whether Pakistan’s spy agency could be trusted.