Images spanning the nearly nine years of the American military presence in Iraq.

In this April 7, 2003 file photo, Iraqi men wave from a truck as they leave the center of Basra, southern Iraq, after looting shops and houses. In the beginning, it all looked simple: topple Saddam Hussein, destroy his purported weapons of mass destruction and lay the foundation for a pro-Western government in the heart of the Arab world. Nearly 4,500 American and more than 100,000 Iraqi lives later, the objective now is simply to get out _ and leave behind a country where democracy has at least a chance, where Iran does not dominate and where conditions may not be good but "good enough." (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File)

Tornadoes ripping across Oklahoma left at least 21 dead, and the death toll could rise yet again, weather forecasters say.

The tragedy of Benghazi, where a U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed, seemed a cut-and-dried story in the days after a mob attacked the State Department's mission in eastern Libya. Today, the public knows that those early administration pronouncements were false.

N.J. Gov. Chris Christie and Britain's Prince Harry began a tour of New Jersey’s storm-damaged coastline, inspecting dune construction, walking past destroyed homes and shaking hands with police and other emergency workers.

The names of four American servicemen, formerly listed as MIA, are added to the wall of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Troops serving in Afghanistan go for months without the comforts of home and seeing loved ones regularly — something that can be felt more deeply on Mother's Day.

Reservists attached to the 459th Air Refueling Wing prepare at Joint Base Andrews, Md., for their upcoming deployment to southwest Asia.

State Department officials testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi, Libya.

The annual Blue Mass is held St. Patrick Catholic Church, Washington, D.C., to pray for those in law enforcement and fire safety and marking the beginning of National Police Week.

Photographs from the National Rifle Association's 142nd Annual Meetings and Exhibits in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.

The newest additions to the Washington Redskins report for rookie minicamp Sunday in Ashburn, Va.

The annual Cinco de Mayo celebration is held on the National Mall in Washington.

Wildfires wreak havoc in California as firefighters scramble to protect property — and lives.

The final piece of the spire is hoisted to the roof of One World Trade Center in New York, capping the tower at 1,776 feet.

Authorities arrested three more suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing case on charges that they removed suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s backpack and laptop from his dorm room three days after the April 15 attack in a bid to frustrate the investigation.

The names of Prince William County Police Officer Chris Yung and National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson are unveiled on the National Law Enforcement Memorial, Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington commemorates its 20th anniversary and pays tribute to Holocaust survivors and World War II veterans.

The annual White House Correspondents' Association Dinner was held Saturday night at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

Five American presidents gather for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Head Stone Mason Joe Alonso shows the progress of repairs to the Washington National Cathedral after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in August of 2011.