COVER

The Brutal 2004 Siege of Fallujah

After weeks of preparation, the U.S. launches a full-scale assault to take back Fallujah. TIME follows one platoon as it carries out the most dangerous operation since the beginning of the war

War by Fits and Starts

Why Fallujah won't be the last bloody battle in the race to pacify Iraq in time for its elections

Storming Fallujah (World)

Six armored columns of U.S. forces drove into the heart of the Iraqi insurgency last week. Fighting was close and fierce at times, but even as troops took control of most of the city, more violence fl

NATION

Herding the Democrats

A Westerner with a tough skin and quiet savvy will take on Bush in the Senate. What fights will he pick?

Who Might Be Nominated? (The Supreme Court)

Bush may get to fill as many as three Supreme Court openings, remaking the court for a generation. Democrats have become experts at blocking nominees they oppose, but they can't stop them all

Bush's Man From Humble

Is Alberto Gonzales, a self-made Hispanic lawman, a kinder, gentler version of John Ashcroft? The Democrats aim to find out

WORLD

Who Will Lead Them Now? (Yasser Arafat*1929-2004)

Arafat's death raises hopes for a new push for peace. But much depends on who takes charge and how the U.S. responds

The Eternal Agitator (Yasser Arafat*1929-2004)

He shook the world by demanding justice for the Palestinians. But Arafat's defiance ruined his chances to win them independence

SCIENCE

Meltdown! (Environment)

The Arctic is warming up even faster than scientists feared. That could spell doom for the polar bear

SOCIETY

BRIEFING

What's a Dejected Democrat to do? (Notebook)

Since Nov. 2, countless Kerry supporters have been flocking to the Internet in search of a postelection pick-me-up. Here are some of the imaginative ways they are coping with sorrow and anger online.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Vote Oprah in '08! (Cartoon)

If Democrats want to rebound, it's time to think outside the ballot box

BUSINESS

Taking The Plunge

On the way to his vision of an ownership society, President Bush picks a big fight over Social Security

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Music: Mysterious Ways (Music)

MAKING RECORDS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MISERY FOR U2. BUT ON HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB, THEY REDISCOVERED THE SECRET: FUSION

Books: The Gorgeous Wreck (Books)

A superb biography looks at the exalted art and difficult life of the painter Willem de Kooning

YOUR TIME

Crazy For Keepsakes (Lifestyle)

An album for couples is the latest title in the growing scrapbooking market

SPECIAL SECTION

China: Quest for Crude (Time Bonus Section December 2004: Global Business / China)

The Middle Kingdom can't find enough oil to meet booming domestic demand--and the world is paying at the pump

Russia: Power Play (Time Bonus Section December 2004: Global Business / Russia)

The Kremlin clampdown on Yukos hasn't stopped the dealmaking frenzy

Libya's New Face (Time Bonus Section December 2004: Global Business / Libya)

Gaddafi's son is opening his isolated country to business--and Big Oil is looking for deals

PEOPLE

LETTERS