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Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, strongly advises any new Iraqi government not to ask American troops to leave until security is improved in the country. Abizaid adds he does not think Iraqi forces will be ready to maintain security on their own by June 30, the date when the United States hopes to transfer sovereignty back to the Iraqi people. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

In the final debate before Wisconsin's primary, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards challenges rival Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Edwards takes pains to remind Kerry that he has not yet won the party's nomination, and says he plans to fight for every last vote. Hear NPR's Scott Horsley.

Three decades after U.S. forces withdrew from Vietnam, service in that war has once again become a presidential campaign issue. Military service can lend candidates "heroic stature." Some historians cite its growing importance in elections as evidence of the "masculinization" of American politics. NPR's Bob Edwards talks with historians David Anderson and Douglas Brinkley.

Wisconsin holds a primary Tuesday, and former Vermont governor Howard Dean is hoping for a strong showing in a state he has focused on for weeks. But even Dean admits his campaign has been "a tough slog." NPR's Robert Smith reports.

Former Vermont governor Howard Dean reveals that his national campaign chairman, Steve Grossman, has left. The departure came after Grossman told reporters that Dean would drop out of the race if he loses in Wisconsin. Dean did not disclose whether Grossman was fired or left of his own accord. Hear NPR's Robert Smith.

Sheffer is the founder, conductor and artistic director of the New-York based orchestra. The group is known for the diversity of its musical program and rediscovering neglected works. They've performed works by Wagner, George Gershwin, Franz Schubert, Philip Glass and Paul Bowles. In March, the orchestra will perform the U.S. premiere of the Jonathan Dove adaptation of Wagner's The Valkyrie.

Wesley Clark officially withdraws from the Democratic presidential race. The retired general, who got into the contest late, leaves having won only one primary, in Oklahoma on Feb. 3. He is the fourth major candidate to withdraw. NPR's Greg Allen reports.

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards' failure to win either of the two Southern primaries up for grabs Tuesday has led some to question the future viability of his presidential campaign. Edwards says he plans to campaign in Wisconsin each day until the state's Feb. 17 primary, and has no intention of withdrawing from the race. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

South Korean and U.S. researchers say they have successfully cloned a human embryo and extracted embryonic stem cells from it. The experiment, reported in the journal Science, is the first instance of cloned human stem cells -- an important step toward therapeutic cloning, in which patients' own replacement tissue would be generated to treat them. NPR's Joe Palca reports.

A new book investigates Operation Condor, the secret alliance between six Latin American military dictatorships in the 1970s. It was formed to track down the regimes’ enemies and assassinate them. Author John Dinges is a former managing editor of NPR News, and has written for The Washington Post and Time. He teaches journalism at Columbia University. His book is The Condor Years: How Pinochet and his Allies Brought Terrorism to Three Continents.