Now: Al-Sahaf has kept a low profile since the Hussein government was overthrown in 2003. In interviews with Al-Arabiya and Abu Dhabi TV, al-Sahaf said he had surrendered to U.S. forces and been released after questioning.

L. Paul Bremer

Then: As director of the Coalition Provisional Authority from 2003 to 2004, Bremer, a U.S. diplomat, was the highest-ranking official in Iraq. His group essentially governed Iraq and oversaw its rebuilding efforts until the Iraqis were ready to reassume power. When Saddam Hussein was captured, Bremer made the announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, we got him!"

Now: Bremer has served on the boards of several corporations and nonprofits since he left Iraq and he has kept an active media presence by appearing on television and writing for newspapers. He has also published a book, "My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope."

Bremer also likes to paint. He has a website that promotes his work, and many of his oil paintings depict wintry landscapes in Vermont.

Donald Rumsfeld

Then: As secretary of defense under President George W. Bush, Rumsfeld managed the early part of the war in Iraq. Praised at first for the effectiveness of the campaign, he soon came under fire for his planning and execution, not to mention the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. He resigned in 2006 and was replaced by Robert Gates.

Now: Since leaving his post, Rumsfeld has been outspoken in the media, appearing numerous times on CNN to talk about foreign policy issues. In October 2011, he reflected on the Iraq war with Fareed Zakaria:

"I think the world is better off having the Iraqi people, an important country, with a constitution they drafted, with a government that's respectful of the various diverse elements in that country. Is it perfect? No. Are people still going to be killing each other from time to time in that part of the world? You bet. But it is, I think, a situation that is better today than it was then.

"Now, it's taken time. It's taken money. It's taken lives. And that is always not predictable."

Rumsfeld has written a book, "Known and Unknown: A Memoir."

Muntadhar al-Zaidi

Then: Al-Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist, threw his shoes at President Bush during a news conference in December 2008. The defiant insult made al-Zaidi a hero in the eyes of many in the Arab world, but it also landed him a one-year prison sentence for assault.

Now: Released several months early for good behavior, al-Zaidi defended his act of protest. He said he felt compelled to act after witnessing what the U.S. invasion had wrought on his country: "I got my chance, and I didn't miss it. ... I saw my country burning." He published a memoir called "The Last Salute to President Bush."

Jill Carroll

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.