1.  a) Who is the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? 
b) Who are the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?
(For detailed information on the Joint Chiefs, go to their website at jcs.mil.)

2.  a) Why have the Joint Chiefs been meeting several times a week recently?
b) On what issue are they all agreed?
c) Were you surprised to learn about the Joint Chiefs' meetings?  Explain your answer.

3.  a) For what reasons does Gen. Pace endorse the idea of shifting more Iraqi forces into Baghdad?
b) What conditions must be met for the redeployment (moving of troops from one area to another)?

4.  The Iraq Study Group is a bipartisan (Democrats and Republicans) commission of former officeholders (not military) charged with assessing U.S. options in Iraq.  One of the recommendations of their report to be released next week is that the U.S. should negotiate with Syria and Iran about Iraq.  Why is President Bush not likely to support this idea?

5.  Why isn't the Iraq Study Group calling for a specific timetable to bring the troops home?
(For detailed information about the Iraq Study Group [aka Baker-Hamilton Commission ], go to the Council on Foreign Relations website at cfr.org.)

6.  a) Define augmented.  b) With what has the Joint Chiefs' review been augmented?