U.S. Reconstruction Strategy in Iraq
Abstract
The reconstruction strategy in Iraq was built on an assumption that a secure and safe environment was going to prevail throughout most of the rebuilding effort; the ongoing insurgencies and sectarian violence have clearly toppled that assumption. Indeed, it will take some strategic patience for the security situation to develop sufficiently so that a full-scale reconstruction effort can take root. In the interim, military formations can "bridge the gap" through the bottom-up Commander's Emergency Response Program. Restoration of essential services, if tied to the national reconstruction strategy, can provide stepping stones towards rebuilding a nation-state. This strategy research project introduces a reconstruction strategy formulation model (RSFM) that civilian leaders and military commanders can use to design a strategy to put the local indigenous population immediately to work towards rebuilding their local communities, while simultaneously keeping the national reconstruction effort at the forefront. The RSFM emphasizes a full spectrum bottom-up "effects-based" approach with "connective tissue" throughout all operational phases that encompasses local, state/province, and national reconstruction projects. This approach sets the conditions for transferring the reconstruction effort to civilian control by incorporating the reconstruction effort holistically throughout the operational campaign.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 05, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA469634
Entities
People
- Clarence D. Turner
Organizations
- United States Army War College