Away from the headlines and debate over the “surge” in U.S. ground troops, the Air Force has quietly built up its hardware inside Iraq, sharply stepped up bombing and laid a foundation for a sustained air campaign in support of American and Iraqi forces.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says Iraqi forces are ready to provide full security in the nation whenever U.S. troops leave.

The head of Al Qaeda in Egypt has fled the country for the Gaza Strip, arrested members of the network revealed during interrogation, a security official said Sunday.