Policy Options For Iraq

Iraq is the most pressing foreign and security policy issue that the United States faces today. Continued failure to make Iraq stable and secure threatens to disrupt the Middle East not by catalyzing the spread of democracy but by exporting instability and conflict. If violence continues, Iraq's neighbors will use the country as a theater in which to pursue their own goals, including those at odds with Iraqi and U.S. interests. Iraq will remain a training ground for terrorist groups, threatening U.S. and allied security. Continued conflict in Iraq not only will remain extraordinarily costly in terms of U.S. lives and resources, but will also damage the credibility of the United States and the efficacy of U.S. forces. It also feeds perceptions around the world that the United States is engaged in a "war on Islam." The U.S. government needs to consider alternative strategies and approaches for reducing the violence in Iraq. Even if policy makers choose not to make major changes, adjustments to current policies might help improve the effectiveness of the U.S. effort. In light of the continuing violence in Iraq, U.S. policy makers continue to reexamine policy options and their repercussions. This monograph assesses a number of approaches that the U.S. government can consider in its efforts to reduce sectarian violence and stabilize Iraq, and presents recommendations that may help increase the likelihood of success. It also considers possible next steps to take, whether these efforts succeed or fail. The analysis in this monograph is based on more than a year of research, which included travel to the region and extensive interviews with U.S., Iraqi, and other specialists, analysts, and officials, as one component of the project "The U.S. Air Force Role in the Middle East." It involved a multidisciplinary team of researchers who brought their expertise in political, economic, and military strategic analysis to these important questions.

Iraq is the most pressing national security issue facing the United States today. This book evaluates the costs and benefits of five alternative strategies the United States could pursue in Iraq. The authors argue that, as long as the United States remains in Iraq, policy actions must focus on improving the security of Iraq's population by reducing violence. They offer recommendations for ways in which U.S. political, security, and economic policies in Iraq could be better geared to support this goal, though they emphasize the challenges inherent in this endeavor. Specific recommendations focus on embedding and vetting efforts for both forces and government structures and on targeting economic assistance more effectively. The authors also suggest policies that might be implemented if violence subsides-but that should not be undertaken unless and until it does. The book concludes with a discussion of next steps if the United States decides to withdraw from Iraq, arguing that the United States needs to prepare now to mitigate the effects of failure.

Provides information about the current perspectives and policies of Iraq¿s neighbors; analyzes potential regional responses to renewed violence and longer-term stabilization efforts; discusses shared concerns and U.S. long-term regional interests; and reviews U.S. policy options for responding to various contingencies. Contents: (1) Common Questions, Unique Concerns: The Regional Strategic Balance and Political Stability; Sectarian and Ethnic Politics and Violence; Transnational and Nationalist Terrorism; Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons; (2) Iraq¿s Future; (3) Iraq¿s Neighbors: Iran; Turkey; Saudi Arabia; Syria; Jordan; Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council States; (4) Issues for Congress. Charts and tables.

Iraq is the most pressing national security issue facing the United States today. This book evaluates the costs and benefits of five alternative strategies the United States could pursue in Iraq. The authors argue that, as long as the United States remains in Iraq, policy actions must focus on improving the security of Iraq's population by reducing violence. They offer recommendations for ways in which U.S. political, security, and economic policies in Iraq could be better geared to support this goal, though they emphasize the challenges inherent in this endeavor. Specific recommendations focu.

Much has been written about the events surrounding the 2003 Anglo-American invasion of Iraq and its aftermath, especially about the intentions, principles, plans and course of action of US policy, but much less attention has been given to the consequences of US policy on Iraqi political and social development. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of US policy on the social and political development of Iraq in the twenty-first century. It shows how not just the institutions of the state were destroyed in 2003, leaving the way open for sectarianism, but also the country’s cultural integrity, political coherence, and national-oriented economy. It outlines how Iraq has been economically impoverished, assessing the appalling situation which ordinary people, including women and children, have endured, not just as a result of the 2003 war, but also as a consequence of the 1991 war and the sanctions imposed in the following years. The book argues that the social, political, and cultural ruin that accompanied the Iraq war was an absolute catastrophe; that the policies which had such adverse effects were the foreseeable consequences of deliberate policy choices; and that those responsible continue to evade being made accountable.

After years of United States investment in time and resources, the loss of thousands of American lives, and the commitment of billions of dollars to support Iraq's political development and the creation of a responsible, capable Iraqi Security Force, that Force deserted the communities they were responsible for protecting, abandoned United States military equipment, and fled from ISIS fighters. ISIS's expansion across Iraq and its reception by Iraq's Sunni communities and tribes would not have been possible except for the accumulation of years of destructive sectarian, corrupt policies by the central government in Baghdad. Iraq has the potential to be an economically prosperous, diverse, and politically representative model for others in the region, but Iraqi leaders have focused on their own sectarian and ethnic interests for too long, at the expense of building an Iraq for all Iraqis.