CFR.org - Iraq

Crisis Between Kurds and Iraqi Government Needs U.S. Mediation

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:05:35 -0400

Daniel P. Serwer, who served as executive director of the Baker-Hamilton Commission on Iraq, says the "serious" crisis between Kurdistan and the central Iraqi government "needs to be resolved" to some degree before the U.S. troops leave."

Tehran's Take

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:03:08 -0400

Iran’s foreign policy is often portrayed in sensationalistic terms, but in reality it is a rational strategy meant to ensure the survival of the Islamic Republic against what Tehran thinks is an existential threat posed by the United States.

A Shaky Iraq's Sovereign Step

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:38:48 -0400

The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraqi cities was a relatively easy benchmark to meet, analysts say. Many are unsure whether the country can withstand a complete U.S. pullout in less than two years.

Press Conference with Gen. Ray Odierno on MNF Forces in Iraq, June 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:05:38 -0400

Speech

WashPost: Iraq: Mission Not Yet Accomplished

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:15:03 -0400

In this opinion piece Jawad Al Bolani, the interior minister of Iraq, writes that the June 30th withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq's major cities is the start of a highly uncertain period for Iraqi democracy rather than a historical endpoint to be celebrated.

Iraq at Crossroads Amid U.S. Disengagement

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:08:40 -0400

As U.S. combat forces begin to withdraw from Iraq's cities, expert Kenneth M. Pollack says he remains "very concerned" about the political situation in Iraq. He stresses the need for the "continued attention" of the United States to bring about a stable Iraq.

Mission Not Accomplished

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:35:56 -0400

Leslie H. Gelb and Jeanne-Paloma Zelmati analyze the print reporting leading up to the war in Iraq, and draw conclusions about the media's successes and failures.

Center for a New American Security: After the Fire: Shaping the Future U.S. Relationship with Iraq

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:16:32 -0400

This report outlines what steps the U.S. should take presently in order to secure a positive relationship with Iraq for the future.

War of Necessity, War of Choice

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:47:26 -0400

In this compelling book, Richard N. Haass contrasts the decisions that shaped the conduct of two wars between the United States and Iraq involving the two presidents Bush and Saddam Hussein, and writes an authoritative, personal account of how U.S. foreign policy is made, what it should seek, and how it should be pursued.

War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars (Audio)

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:00:35 -0400

Listen to Richard N. Haass speak about his book War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars, which details how and why the two wars resulted from two different policymaking processes, approaches to U.S. foreign policy, and presidential personalities.

War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars (Video)

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:00:20 -0400

Watch Richard N. Haass speak about his book War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars, which details how and why the two wars resulted from two different policymaking processes, approaches to U.S. foreign policy, and presidential personalities.

WashPost: Iraq: Hold and Build, or Lose

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:50:27 -0400

Anthony H. Cordesman argues in a Washington Post op-ed that the United States runs the risk of making Iraq "the forgotten war," which could have dire consequences for the country's post-withdrawal prospects for peace.

"War of Necessity" with Richard Haass

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 08 May 2009 11:47:57 -0400

A Council on Foreign Relations meeting on President Richard Haass's new book, War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars.

Academic Conference Call: War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars (Audio)

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:01:05 -0400

Listen to CFR President Richard N. Haass discuss his new book, War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars, with educators as part of CFR's Academic Conference Call series.

Reversal in Iraq

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:27:47 -0400

Iraq is currently in the early stages of a negotiated end to an intense ethnosectarian war. As such, there are several contingencies in which recent, mostly positive trends in Iraq could be reversed, threatening U.S. national interests. This Center for Preventive Action Contingency Planning Memorandum by Stephen Biddle assesses four interrelated scenarios in Iraq that could derail the prospects for peace and stability in the short to medium term and posits concrete policy options to limit U.S. vulnerability to the possibility of such reversals.

War of Necessity, War of Choice (Audio)

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:46:27 -0400

Listen to CFR President Richard N. Haass discuss his new book, War of Necessity, War of Choice: A Memoir of Two Iraq Wars.

Obama Broadening Afghanistan War Into 'War of Choice' and Not 'Necessity'

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:01:34 -0400

CFR President Richard N. Haass, whose latest book explores President George W. Bush's "war of choice" in Iraq, says he is concerned that President Obama may be turning the Afghanistan war into a "war of choice" too.

A Tale of Two Wars

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:36:42 -0400

Richard Haass’ perceptive insider’s account of the policymaking leading up to both Iraq wars -- one a "war of choice," the other a "war of necessity" -- holds key lessons for future U.S. leadership in the Middle East and beyond.

New Perils in Iraq

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:05:42 -0400

A new wave of sectarian violence has broken out in Iraq as the United States shifts its military and strategic focus to Afghanistan. Analysts warn new tensions could complicate withdrawal plans.

Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq, March 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:51:23 -0400

Report

UN Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM): Mandate

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:16:33 -0400

Mandate

Timeline: The Iraq War

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:27:41 -0400

An interactive slideshow detailing events since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Misreading Iraq

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:52:40 -0400

Charles Duelfer, a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, says the biggest failure in the run-up to the war was misreading Iraqis' intentions, a lesson to consider when dealing with other hard-to-gauge countries, like Iran.

A Costly Exit from Iraq

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:45:33 -0500

President Obama says ending the war in Iraq will require a new definition of victory, and experts add that the United States should expect no peace dividend in its budget anytime soon.

World Policy Journal: Machiavelli in Mesopotamia: Nouri al-Maliki Builds the Body Politic

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:45:24 -0500

In this article, Ned Parker describes the ruling style of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, and the implications for the future of democracy in Iraq.

Iraq and Afghanistan: Tough Balancing Act for Obama

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 11:07:56 -0500

Stephen Biddle, a senior defense and counterterrorism analyst, says that President Obama's schedule for reducing and then ending the U.S. deployment in Iraq "is a reasonable compromise between several conflicting demands."

Obama's Remarks on "Responsibly Ending the War in Iraq"

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:48:39 -0500

Speech

The Precedents for Withdrawal

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:36:37 -0500

As Washington ponders how long to stay in Iraq, it would do well to remember the limited impact of the United States' withdrawal from Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1970s, Lebanon in the 1980s, and Somalia in the 1990s.

Iraqi Prime Minister's Party Emerging as Strongest Among Shiite Parties in Elections

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:54:36 -0500

Sam Parker, an expert on Iraq, says the initial results from the provincial elections indicate Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been strengthened and Sunnis in restive Mosul may play a more positive role now that they appear to have defeated Kurds at the polls.

Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:34:31 -0500

Hard Lessons reviews the Iraq reconstruction experience from mid-2002 through the fall of 2008.