THE LONG WAR

Five years after the invasion of Iraq

Iraq war (Eros Hoagland for The Boston Globe)US Army Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Frank (right) talked with Sheikh Talib Al Rabei, head of a Baghdad group working to pacify Shia and Sunni relations.

Can it hold?

Five years after the Iraq war began, and one year into the US troop "surge" bombings and attacks across the country have plummeted, and a relative calm has settled in. But now with gradual troop reductions underway, and calls for a speedier withdrawal growing, the critical question on the ground in Iraq is: Can it hold?
The road to reconciliation
VIDEO

The road to reconciliation

Army Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Frank meets with Baghdad leaders to discuss security after the "surge."
Charting the war
GRAPHIC

Charting the war

See the ebb and flow of violence in Iraq since the invasion five years ago.
On the ground
PHOTO GALLERY

On the ground

Take a tour of the Rashid district of Baghdad with the soldiers and local leaders working for peace.
A history of violence
INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC

A history of violence

Watch how the sectarian violence has waned in Iraq since December 2006.

COMING THIS WEEK

MON. | Chat transcript
Five years of Iraq
The Globe's Charles Sennott chatted with readers about the war in Iraq after five years.
Wed. | Chat transcript
The cost of war
Linda Blimes of the Harvard Kennedy School talks about the impact of the Iraq war on the economy.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

NEWS
OPINION