Making Sense Of Devastation And Trauma In Iraq

Relatives of Mohamad Jassim, grieve by his grave in the Wadi al-Saalam cemetery in Najaf. Mohamad disappeared from his neighborhood in Baghdad in 2005, but it was years later that the Jassim family received news of his fate after recognizing the photograph of his body. (Photo by Moises Saman for The New York Times)

Nearly four months after President Obama declared an end to the American combat mission in Iraq, the country still has nearly 50,000 american service members present in non-combat operations.

We take a look at the reality on the ground, and the country’s new government with New York Times Baghdad bureau chief Anthony Shadid. Shadid told us that he struggles to make readers understand the devastation in the country, where everyone he meets has lost a loved one.

• New York Times: Restoring names to war’s unknown casualties
• Here & Now: Where are the architects of the Iraq War now?