CFR.org - Iraq

As We Stand Down, Can They Stand Up?

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:45:01 -0500

"Despite the headlines about bombings in Baghdad, the situation has improved immeasurably," writes Max Boot, referring to the better security in Iraq on his most recent trip. Nevertheless, he cautions that, "there is no room to be complacent," as there is much work yet to be done.

Quarterly Report to Congress, Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, October 2009

Council on Foreign Relations — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:37:24 -0500

Report

The Incurable Vietnam Syndrome

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:09:40 -0400

"We would all be well advised to handle Vietnam analogies with great care," writes Max Boot arguing against comparing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Vietnam War.

Iraq's Worrisome Political Process

Council on Foreign Relations — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:08:47 -0400

Middle East expert Joost Hiltermann says Iraq appears headed for an uncertain, and potentially violent, political season with no clear dominant faction emerging ahead of January parliamentary elections.

CJR: Too Close for Comfort?

Council on Foreign Relations — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:42:21 -0400

Tara McKelvey profiles the Washington Post's special military correspondent, Thomas E. Ricks, and looks at the ways in which debates on counterinsurgency policy within the media blur accurate coverage of war strategy and purpose.

Reappraising U.S. Withdrawal from Iraqi Cities

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:19:20 -0400

Veteran reporter Jane Arraf says the massive truck bombings of August 19 in Baghdad have shaken the people and government. She says the United States may have to take a new look at the policy of leaving security under Iraqi control in urban centers.

Institute for the Study of War: The 2009 Kurdish Elections

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:33:30 -0400

A report detailing the structure of the Kurdistan Regional Government, its major political parties, and the dynamics of the upcoming election.

The Next Chapter in Iraq

Council on Foreign Relations — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:33:11 -0400

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and President Barack Obama struck a note of cooperation in their latest meeting. But some Western observers worry the Obama administration is not focused enough on Iraq's simmering problems.

FP: The New Nuri al-Maliki

Council on Foreign Relations — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:19:50 -0400

U.S. officials used to worry that Iraq's prime minister was too weak. That was then.

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