And a weeklong operation against Shiite militias loyal to Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in southern Iraq, a battle on which al-Maliki staked his prestige, ended only after negotiations in Iran among Iraqi lawmakers, Iranian leaders and al-Sadr's representatives.
There can be few more striking figures that encapsulate Britain's battle against al-Qaeda-inspired extremism than the towering, hook-handed cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, convicted of soliciting to murder and stirring up racial hatred.
Despite the agreement, the U.S. military -- which was not part of the discussions -- continued to battle militants Sunday night into Monday morning in Sadr City, a stronghold of the radical Shiite cleric.