To the Point

The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Baghdad

American troops continue their thrusts into central Baghdad, a high-level Iraqi officer has been killed, and US forces may have discovered a cache of chemical weapons. Central Command says Iraqi resistance is -worthy of respect,- but predicts a quick end for a -doomed regime.- Meantime, President Bush and Prime Minister Blair are meeting to talk about UN involvement in reconstruction, and elements of a new government are already being put in place. With troops occupying Saddam Hussein-s central palace, the war is going faster than anyone expected. We up date the progress with journalists traveling with US troops and at Central Command, a military expert from the Brookings Institute, a former assistant to King Hussein of Jordan, and an expert in international security from Britain-s Royal Institute of International Affairs. Making News: Pentagon-State Rift Widens over Post-War Iraq Plans As President Bush and British Prime Minister Blair prepare to meet on who will govern post-war Iraq, the Pentagon is already sending an advance party. Robin Wright, chief diplomatic correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, looks at Ahmed Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress and the tensions that are increasingly straining relations between the Pentagon and State Department. Reporter's Notebook: Blair and Bush Meet in Belfast As the fifth anniversary of Northern Ireland-s Good Friday Agreement nears, President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair are conducting their third summit in three weeks. A boon for Blair, it could impact the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Rosie Cowan, Irish correspondent for the Guardian newspaper, looks at the Belfast meeting that could produce an important roadmap for Middle East peace.