From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

Should the U.S. increase the pressure on the Iraqi government?

Hello again, I'm Armin Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues Americans care about most.

To end continuing violence, Iraq's prime minister has agreed to meet benchmarks to reconcile Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. Amending the Constitution, holding local elections, and regulating oil revenues

are supposed to give all sides a real stake in peace and stability. The Bush administration says U.S. forces are needed before political deals can be made.

But critics contend the American presence is an excuse for delay.

On to the point are the Iraqis meeting the benchmarks, should the U.S.

threaten to cut off support till more progress is made.

On Reporters' Notebook later on, the aftermath of the rape case

against Duke lacrosse players. First, here's the news. Support for To the Point comes from

subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio International Program Fund, whose contributors

include the Ford Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. McArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Mormon-Aulay, back with To the Point. Despite other differences, President Bush and his

critics agree that Iraqi violence will end only when there is national reconciliation. On To the

point, is the Iraqi government meeting benchmarks designed to give Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds a stake

in peace and stability, should the U.S. threatened to cut off support till more progress is made.

On a reporter's notebook, all charges are about to be dropped. What's next for the Duke

lacrosse players publicly accused of rape and sexual assault? First is news update. A spokesman

for the president's National Security

Council has confirmed that the White House wants to create a czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and

Afghanistan. So far, though, nobody wants the job. That's according to today's Washington Post in an

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