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A Baghdad marketplace is bombed, killing as many as 30 civilians. Iraqi officials blame the deadly attack on U.S. missiles. The Pentagon says it did not target the area, and is investigating whether stray missiles or Iraqi weapons may have been the cause. Hear NPR's Tom Gjelten and NPR's Anne Garrels.

The U.S.-led military offensive against Iraq began on March 19, 2003, at approximately 9:30pm ET. NPR News Special Coverage from the night of March 19 is available online at the link below.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the new memoir, The Only Girl in the Car by Kathy Dobie.

Amidst a thick dust storm in Kuwait, American and British troops are on the move toward the Iraq border. Reports say some U.S. units already are inside the demilitarized zone between Iraq and Kuwait. NPR's Mike Shuster reports from Kuwait.

NPR's Andy Bowers examines some of the language used to describe the war in Iraq, including the frequent use of the phrase, "shock and awe."

More than 1,500 Turkish troops cross the border into Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, a move the United States strongly opposes. Turkey says it needs a military presence in the area to secure its borders and prevent the formation of an independent Kurdish state. NPR's Mike Shuster reports.

Secretary of State Colin Powell urges Turkey to keep its forces out of Iraq during any U.S.-led military action due to concerns of a possible conflict with the Kurds. NPR's Guy Raz reports.

Britain has sent more than 25,000 troops to Kuwait, along with tanks, artillery and other equipment. Many are stationed about 20 miles south of the Iraqi border and are poised for a possible assault on the Iraqi town of Basra. The troops have been training intensively since their arrival three weeks ago. NPR's Mike Shuster describes how the troops practice an assault on enemy trenches, the kind of defensive positions they expect to find when they cross the border into Iraq.

In Kuwait, the First Marine Division prepares for a possible invasion of Iraq by playing a war game to try to learn the preferred tactics, personalities and weaknesses of Iraq's regional commanders and to predict the Iraqi military's response to an attack. NPR's John Burnett reports.

The Bush administration raises the national terror alert from yellow to orange, the second-highest level on a five-color scale. And Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announces "Operation Liberty Shield," which includes sending more federal security officers to monitor borders, airports and nuclear power plants. NPR's Bob Edwards talks to NPR's Pam Fessler.