areas from which it was driven by the American military and Sunni fighters of the U.S.-allied Sahwa or Awakening movement after sectarian fighting peaked in 2007.

Al Qaeda in Iraq has for years had a hot-and-cold relationship with the global terror network's leadership. Both shared the goal of targeting the U.S. military in Iraq and, to an extent, undermining the Shiite government that replaced Saddam Hussein's regime. But al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri distanced themselves from the Iraqi militants in 2007 for having killed Iraqi civilians instead of focusing on Western targets.average net-property taxes category dates back to a time when far more New Jersey taxpayers were eligible for property-tax relief through the Homestead program. Nearly 2 million New Jersey taxpayers were once enrolled, but income limits that were at one point as high as $250,000 were lowered down to $75,000, and $150,000 for seniors or disabled homeowners, before Christie took office. Christie has also reduced funding for the Homestead credits during his tenure, with $323 million set aside in the current state budget to cover the next round. More than $2 billion was budgeted for the rebates in 2007. Now, just under 600,000 homeowners remain enrolled in the Homestead program.

Rising property tax bills: The changes to the Homestead program have occurred even as the average New Jersey property