Japan and Iraq: A Comparison

Abstract

Current stability operations in Iraq are in danger of failing due to political pressure at home and abroad. Security issues and a long-standing perception of illegitimacy for the entire operation continue to exacerbate the problem of fully and successfully transitioning to a democratic, friendly, Iraqi government. A significant portion of the U.S. population now desires a full military withdrawal from Iraq. This paper compares the successful occupation of Japan after World War II and ongoing stability operations in postwar Iraq. Specifically, it looks at the historical context of both operations, the operational structure of the respective occupation forces, and the major decisions made prior to and during the early days of both operations and their impacts. It answers the question of why both operations had significantly differing outcomes by examining their overall character. Finally, the paper draws conclusions from both case studies and makes recommendations for future stability operations.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 10, 2007
Accession Number
ADA470766

Entities

People

  • Hans De For

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Weapons
  • Commerce
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Governments
  • Information Operations
  • Iraqi-War
  • Law
  • Military Operations
  • Perception
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Second World War
  • Security
  • Stability Operations
  • War
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies