"The hunt for WMD will continue under whatever authority is in charge, right now the Iraqi interim government, " he said.

CNN: Official: U.S. calls off search for Iraqi WMDs

The United States is scheduled to hand over power to an interim Iraqi government at midnight on June 30.

CNN: Bush in Ohio defends war

All this encouraged the Americans and the interim Iraqi government to reject calls by some mainstream Sunni groups for the elections to be postponed.

ECONOMIST: The calm before the storm | The

There have been more than 500 car bombings alone, the military says, since the US turned political sovereignty over to an interim Iraqi government just over a year ago.

NPR: Examining the Makeup of the Iraqi Insurgency

Terrorist incidents in Iraq also dramatically increased, from 22 attacks to 198, or nine times the previous year's total - after the U.S. handover of political authority to an interim Iraqi government.

BBC: [an error occurred while processing this directive]

McClellan, talking to reporters on Air Force One, said the storage site was the responsibility of the interim Iraqi government, not the United States, as of the June 28 transfer of power.

CNN: Tons of Iraq explosives missing

The coalition does not have sovereign authority and has no authority to bring into being an interim Iraqi Government with such authority, or to create a constitutional process leading to the election of a sovereign government.

BBC: Short's resignation statement

Melissa Fleming, spokeswoman for the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the interim Iraqi government reported to the agency several days ago in a letter that the explosives were missing from the Al Qaqaa complex south of Baghdad.

CNN: Tons of Iraq explosives missing

Annan said further discussions would take place before he decided whether to send such a team, but he expressed doubts that direct elections could be held in time for a planned handover to an interim Iraqi government this (northern hemisphere) summer.

CNN: U.N. help sought on Iraq vote

Despite the deaths of more than 100 U.S. troops in Iraq this month in battles with Iraqi insurgents in Baghdad, Fallujah and other cities, Wolfowitz said it is important to stick to the Bush administration's planned June 30 deadline to hand over power to an interim Iraqi government.

CNN: Bush Iraq policy faces tough questions?on Capitol Hill

Mr Chalabi, who has been flown into southern Iraq with 700 American-trained fighters, complained that Jay Garner, a retired American general chosen to run an interim Iraqi government, had not yet arrived in the country, and said that faster action was needed to restore electricity and water supplies, and to supply humanitarian aid.

ECONOMIST: Saddam's regime topples | The

Ms al-Suwaij says she has been asked to help rebuild the Iraqi education system, advising the US interim government team that will take over the education ministry.

BBC: Iraqi exile plans return

Now that Saddam is on the verge of being ousted, the key battle is for control of the Iraqi interim authority, which will move the country from U.S. military rule to an elected Iraqi government, crafting its constitution and its future.

CNN: Clash of the administration titans