But then there are days like Friday, when a series of bombs exploded near five Shiite mosques in Baghdad, killing at least 29 people and shattering the perception, at least for now, that Iraq is a much safer place than it used to be.

Michael Wahid Hanna, a fellow at the Century Foundation, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the attacks and U.S. troop withdrawals.

Already, insurgents seem to be testing Iraq’s ability to maintain security, with a series of deadly bombings that has killed almost 200 people in recent days. The Pentagon has downplayed the recent spike in violence in Iraq.

On Wednesday, a bomb attached to a motorcycle killed 78 people at a market in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad, which is already under Iraqi control.

Michael Wahid Hanna, a fellow at the Century Foundation, joins Martin Savidge to discuss whether Iraqi security forces are ready to take control and what role U.S. forces will continue to play in Iraq after the pullout from cities.

But officials are hopeful that another event on Thursday may help reduce the violence — the reported arrest by Iraqi security officials of one of the most wanted leaders of the al-Qaeda-linked Sunni insurgency. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was for years a key target of Iraqi and American forces.

Michael Wahid Hanna, an expert on international security matters with the Century Foundation, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the significance of the capture and what it will mean for Iraq’s Sunni insurgency, as well as the increase in bombings in Iraq.

Some 140,000 U.S. troops are currently in Iraq. The president’s plan establishes an 18-month timetable for the withdrawal of most of them, expected to start soon.

Obama also made it clear that the future of Iraq will soon be in the hands of Iraqis themselves. Not all the U.S. troops will come home — to help the Iraqis, as many as 50,000 U.S. troops will remain behind. It’s expected that some of them will still be in the line of fire, including on patrol.

Michael Wahid Hanna, a specialist on the Middle East and international security with the Century Foundation, joins Martin Savidge to discuss what the remaining troops will do, the capability of Iraq’s security forces and Iraq’s future.

For more on the violence in Gaza, listen to Worldfocus interviews with experts on the ground in Gaza and surrounding regions.

Aaron David Miller, a public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, speaks with Martin Savidge about the potential role of the U.S. in the Gaza conflict, and the difficult choices that President-elect Obama will soon have to make.

Richard Weitz, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute, speaks with Martin Savidge about the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion of Gaza.

Michael Wahid Hanna, of the Century Foundation, speaks with Martin Savidge about Egypt’s role in the Hamas-Israel conflict.