Burke Chair on Iraq War - Related Publication

Determining the Real Results of the Iraqi Election

amausner — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Iraq has accomplished a milestone in holding a true national election in which every major ethnic group and sect took part. At the same time, there is good reason for caution. It is all too easy to congratulate a nation on its elections, and to forget that even the best election is meaningless unless it is followed by effective political leadership and effective governance.

Barriers to Reconciliation in Iraq

amausner — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The security of Iraq no longer depends on fighting insurgents and defeating extremist movements; it requires building national unity and fostering political reconciliation between Iraq’s ethno-sectarian groups. Peaceful reconciliation of differences is perhaps the most important step in achieving long-term security and stability, and eliminating the risk of violent civil war.

Strategic Partnership with Iraq

amausner — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The war in Iraq may be winding down but it is scarcely over. Iraq is still the scene of major attacks on ongoing violence. Equally important, Iraq is still far from political stability, faces major problems in political accommodation, and must both conduct a major election and develop far more effective patterns of governance.

The New "War on Terrorism"

amausner — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Few talk today about the “Global War on Terrorism,” and few should. The phrase was always too broad and too ambiguous, and it implied some kind of unity in the threat that never existed. It is important, however, to look beyond today’s headlines about Yemen and consider the broader range of threats the US now faces on a regional basis.

Iraq: Security Trends

amausner — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Iraq has made significant progress in defeating the insurgency and improving its security. The level of violence in Iraq is sharply lower than the levels that peaked in 2007.

Iraq: Creating a Strategic Partnership

amausner — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The recent bombings in Iraq have shown that the Iraq War is scarcely over. The insurgency is still capable of major bombings and efforts to renew ethnic and sectarian conflict. Iraq faces other internal challenges like tensions between Arabs and Kurds, and is years away from achieving lasting security and stability.

Iraq: Security and the Challenges of Lasting "Victory"

amausner — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Changing Challenge to Iraqi Security

Iraq: Creating a Strategic Partnership

amausner — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Iraq and the United States have continued to make security gains during the course of 2009, but the Iraq War is scarcely over. The insurgency is still capable of major bombings and efforts to renew ethnic and sectarian conflict. Iraq faces other internal challenges like tensions between its Arabs and Kurds, and it is years away from achieving lasting security and stability.

Iraqi Trends and Afghan Resources

amausner — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Burke Chair at CSIS is issuing two new reports on the Iraq and Afghan Wars.

The Iraq report Recent Trends in the Iraq War: Maps and Graphs can be downloaded here.

Shape, Clear, Hold, and Build

amausner — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

(Speech given at the Cosmos Club on September 24, 2009)

We face a crisis in two wars. The US is losing the war in Afghanistan and we risk losing the gains we have made in Iraq, largely as a result of our own mistakes. After eight years of war the US is still seeking to learn how to address the problems of armed nation building.