Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security
Abstract
Operation Iraqi Freedom overthrew Saddam Hussein's regime, but much of Iraq remains violent because of Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency, compounded by Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence that, in the judgment of many, constitutes a civil war. Mounting U.S. casualties and financial costs without dramatic improvements in levels of violence or clear movement toward national political reconciliation among Iraq s major communities have intensified a debate within the United States over whether to reduce U.S. involvement without completely accomplishing initial U.S. goals. President Bush announced a new strategy on January 10, 2007 ( New Way Forward ) consisting of deployment of an additional 28,500 U.S. forces ( troop surge ) to help stabilize Baghdad and restive Anbar Province. The strategy is intended to provide security conditions conducive to Iraqi government action on a series of key reconciliation initiatives that are viewed as benchmarks of political progress. The FY2007 supplemental appropriation, P.L. 110-28, linked some U.S. reconstruction aid to progress on the eighteen named benchmarks, but allows for a presidential waiver to continue the aid even if little or no progress is observed in Administration reports due July 15, 2007 and September 15, 2007. The latter will include a major assessment of the effects of the troop surge to date. According to the required July 15, 2007 Administration report, released on July 12, the Baghdad security plan has made progress on several military indicators and some political indicators, but progress is unsatisfactory on the most important political reconciliation indicators.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 06, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA471758
Entities
People
- Kenneth Katzman
Organizations
- Library of Congress