Then: Carroll, a freelance reporter for the Christian Science Monitor newspaper, was kidnapped by an Iraqi militant group and held for nearly three months before her release in March 2006. Once back in the United States, Carroll denounced a propaganda video in which she appeared, saying it was a price she had to pay for her freedom.

Now: Carroll described her ordeal in the Monitor, writing an 11-part series called Hostage: The Jill Carroll Story. In 2008, she left the newspaper for Fairfax County, Va., where she was training to be a firefighter.

Ayad Allawi

Then: When he was sworn in as interim prime minister in June 2004, Allawi became the first Iraqi other than Saddam Hussein to lead the country in more than three decades. Allawi was co-founder of the Iraqi National Accord, a group that opposed Hussein's Ba'ath Party.

Now: Allawi's Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc won the most seats in 2010's parliamentary elections, and it has a power-sharing deal in place with the Shiite-backed State of Law Coalition led by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. There has been political tension between the two groups recently, with Allawi's group accusing al-Maliki of cutting it out of the decision-making process. The Iraqiya bloc even pulled out of parliament in December, but it ended the boycott a month later.

Tommy Franks

Then: Franks, a four-star Army general who served three tours in Vietnam, led the invasion of Iraq while in charge of U.S. Central Command. Centcom oversees military operations in 20 countries, many of which are in the Middle East.

Now: Since retiring in 2003, Franks has traveled the world speaking about leadership, character and the value of democracy, according to his website. His 2004 autobiography, "American Soldier," debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times' best-seller list. Franks is currently on the board of directors for the group that runs Chuck E. Cheese restaurants.

David Petraeus

Then: As a four-star Army general, Petraeus relieved George Casey Jr. in 2007 to command coalition forces in Iraq. He oversaw the "surge" strategy that increased troop levels by 30,000.

In later years, he would take over command of the Afghanistan war effort and become director of the CIA,

Now: Petraeus resigned his CIA post in November, admitting he had an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. Sources close to Petraeus said he would be making his first public appearance since his resignation later this month, speaking at a dinner honoring veterans and active duty military.

Cindy Sheehan

Then: Sheehan became the face of the antiwar movement in 2005, when she protested for weeks outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. She said she wanted to confront the president, whom she held responsible for the death of her son, a U.S. soldier slain in Iraq.

Now: Sheehan continues to be a vocal opponent of U.S. war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. She ran for Congress in 2008 but finished a distant second behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in California.

Sheehan has been sued by the federal government for not paying taxes.

Youssif

Then: Youssif, a 5-year-old boy living in Baghdad, was horribly scarred when masked men set him on fire in 2007. His CNN story struck a chord with viewers, who donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Los Angeles-based nonprofit that brought Youssif to the United States for medical treatment.

Now: Youssif and his family continue to call California home, and he has had more than a dozen surgeries to reconstruct his face. He still needs more surgeries, but he has kept a positive upbeat attitude and adjusted well to his new life in the United States. He speaks English, attends school and plays soccer. He said in 2011 that he misses his home country and wants to grow up to be a doctor so he can help others.