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Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld dismisses claims the United States was unprepared for the ground war in Iraq and says there will be no delay in the push toward Baghdad. NPR's Alex Chadwick talks to Tom Ricks of The Washington Post.

The U.S. military launches an investigation into a shooting at a checkpoint near Najaf that killed at least seven Iraqi women and children. Military officials say U.S. soldiers opened fire on a civilian van after the driver failed to stop as ordered. Hear NPR's Nick Spicer.

Military analysts criticize the U.S. war plan as fierce Iraqi resistance slows the march toward Baghdad. Critics say U.S. commanders made a mistake by not sending more ground forces to Iraq. On Capitol Hill, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld defends the war plan, saying the "outcome is assured" and the ruling regime will be removed. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten.

The federal government is about to select several U.S. firms to oversee the rebuilding of Iraq. Some say it's unseemly for American firms to earn a profit repairing damage inflicted by the U.S. military. European companies were shut out from the bidding process. NPR's Kathleen Schalch reports.

NPR's Melissa Block talks with Rick Atkinson, Washington Post correspondent with the Army's 101st Airborne Division, near Najav in central Iraq. Atkinson describes the firefights the 101st Airborne Division has been engaging in around the Shiite holy city of Najav.

Iraqi military officials in Baghdad promise more suicide attacks against U.S.-led forces, following Saturday's car bombing that killed four U.S. soldiers near the Iraqi city of Najaf. Iraq says it has given the equivalent of more than $30,000 to the family of the man who carried out the suicide attack. NPR's Liane Hansen talks to reporter John Laurence.

Iraq's health minister says more than 350 civilians have been killed since the war began, including 36 in Baghdad over the past 24 hours. Most of the victims died in an attack on a commercial district in the city; Iraqi officials blame the bombing on U.S. missiles, but the Pentagon says it did not target the area. Hear NPR's Anne Garrels.

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with our regular political contributors; David Brooks of the Weekly Standard and E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post and Brookings Institution. They discuss domestic political reactions to the war, particularly regarding the budget, and the presidential primary.

An attacker drives a truck into a crowd of U.S. soldiers at a base in Kuwait, wounding at least five Americans. And in Doha, Qatar, Gen. Tommy Franks rejects suggestions of a "pause" in fighting. Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep.

The United States steps up airstrikes against Iraqi targets north of Baghdad. Kurdish forces in northern Iraq welcome the support, and officials there report an increase in surrenders by Iraqi troops. NPR's Ivan Watson reports.