The fledgling Iraqi Government faces many obstacles in a perilous 18-month path to complete freedom, Henza Hendawi reports from Baghdad.

The United Nations is ahead of schedule in organising Iraq’s elections but will not take part if security does not improve, the UN elections chief said.

Jubilant Iraqis yanked the bodies of four foreign contractors – at least one an American – out of their burning cars today, dragged the charred corpses through the streets, and hung two of them from a bridge spanning the Euphrates River.

A UN team met with Iraqi leaders yesterday to discuss the feasibility of early legislative elections and its leader pledged to do “everything possible” to help the country regain its sovereignty.