America unsettled as Marines sucked into war in all but name
Nearly a year after the main fighting was supposed to be over, combat-sized casualties on both sides and among civilians have become more than sporadic episodes on a journey to stable democracy.
Battles have been intense in a half dozen or more Iraqi cities and towns. Whether the struggle turns out to be simply the bloody price of progress or a serious setback in hard-won gains, Americans face the prospect of the attacks continuing into an indefinite future and the possibility of having to send more troops.
