They face strong opposition from forces seeking to undermine them, and these anti-American forces used the Newsweek item to fan the outrage of fellow Muslims.

He then watched as helicopter gunships zoomed in with dozens of Army Rangers, who shot "dead" the anti-American forces across from the embassy.

At the same time, the 60 warplanes aboard the Abraham Lincoln could allow Washington to threaten air strikes against targets controlled by anti-American forces.

They say anti-American forces are having a more difficult time carrying out attacks with "improvised explosive devices," or homemade bombs.

General Abizaid also said that anti-American forces had fired two surface-to-air missiles at American aircraft within the last two weeks; one of them was today.

Yet the anti-American forces pulling on Mr. Maliki are formidable.

The anti-American forces here know this, and may be goading the soldiers into fighting, hoping that ordinary civilians are killed or injured in the process.

Quick democracy might also empower illiberal, anti-American forces among the Shiites - who, given their majority status in the population, could possibly dominate a constitutional convention.

Hezbollah has indeed become a potent anti-American force, but dozens of interviews here suggest that it has scant inclination to save President Hussein.

In Washington, meanwhile, some members of Congress warn that the United States must be wary of anti-American forces in the Caspian.