Region Related Event Feeds

Iraq and the Challenge of Continuing Violence

sherry — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500

The withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq at the end of 2011 did not leave that country with a functioning democracy or effective governance; nor has it put an end to high levels of local violence, or ethnic and sectarian tension.

Critical Issues for 2012

sherry — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Critical Questions for 2012

ian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

From international security and regional study to global challenges, CSIS experts will address many of the world's most difficult policy concerns and critical questions in 2012. To kick off the new year, we asked 25 of our scholars to identity what worries them most and what are the biggest opportunities in their respective areas of study.

Escape from Iraq and American Decline

sherry — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:00:00 -0500

A recent article put forward the idea that “U.S. Withdrawal from Iraq Marks the End of American Supremacy.” Leaving Iraq does nothing of the kind. If anything, it offers an opportunity to mend American power. What America will make of this opportunity is another matter.

The Broader Crisis in Iraq

ian — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

It is tempting to focus solely on the evolving political crisis and power struggle between Prime Minister Maliki and his opponents, but this is only part of the crisis in Iraq.

Iraq’s Broader Political and Governance Challenges

The Real Outcome of the Iraq War: US and Iranian Strategic Competition in Iraq

ian — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The events of the last few days have made it all too clear that the US celebrated the end of the Iraq War without any realism as to the impact of the war and US occupation or the fact that the real result has been to create a new theater of competition between the US and Iran.

The End of the War in Iraq: A Graphic Overview

ecurran — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The US has sharply cutback its reporting on the Iraq War since the spring of 2011. There are, however, still a number of sources that help put both the Iraq War and the current state of Iraq into perspective.

The Outcome of Invasion: US and Iranian Strategic Competition in Iraq

sherry — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Iraq has become a key focus of the strategic competition between the United States and Iran. The history of this competition has been shaped by the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the 1991 Gulf War, and the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Since the 2003 war, both the US and Iran have competed to shape the structure of Post-Saddam Iraq’s politics, governance, economics, and security.

US and Iranian Strategic Competition: Competition in Iraq

sherry — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

US competition with Iran has become the equivalent of a game of three-dimensional chess, but a game where each side can modify at least some of the rules with each move.

Iraq and US Strategy in the Gulf

ecurran — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

During the coming months, the US must reshape its strategy and force posture relative to Iraq and the Gulf States. It must take account of its withdrawal of most of its forces from Iraq, and whether or not it can give real meaning to the US-Iraqi Strategic Framework Agreement.

Confronting an Uncertain Threat

jdunton — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Al Qaeda and associated movements (AQAM) have become an increasingly diffuse security threat. Although the Afghanistan-Pakistan borderlands may have represented the epicenter of global terrorism in the past decade, al Qaeda’s various regional affiliates are growing in prominence.

Iraq in Transition: US Transition Plans and Aid

sherry — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The war in Iraq remains a critical aspect of US national security, and involves more vital US strategic interests than the conflict in Afghanistan. Estimates by the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy indicate that the US and global economy will not reduces their strategic dependence on the Gulf petroleum exports through 2035, and Iraq’s future alignments with

Iraq in Transition: Security, Iraqi Forces and US Security Aid Plans

sherry — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

jdunton — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) emerged in January 2009 from the union of two preexisting militant groups: al Qaeda in Yemen (AQY) and al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia.1 Both organizations included several combatants that fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan with Osama bin Laden.

Iraq in Transition: A Status Report

kate — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0400

The war if Iraq has received only limited attention in the US media and various research centers over the last year. It remains, however, a critical aspect of US national security, and involves more vital US strategic interest than the conflict in Afghanistan.

Al Qaeda in Iraq

jdunton — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0400

Founded in October 2004, al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) emerged from a transnational terrorist group created and led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The original iteration of the group, Bayat al Imam, began in Jordan in the early 1990s. The group first associated with al Qaeda’s senior leadership in 1999 and fought alongside al Qaeda core and the Taliban during the U.S.

U.S. And Iranian Strategic Competition

sherry — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Iraq is a key focus of the strategic competition between the United States and Iran. The history of this competition has been shaped by the Iran-Iraq War from 1980 to 1988, the Gulf War, the Iraq War that began in 2003, and the events that have followed.

Winning the War in Iraq: Creating and Funding a Strategic Partnership

sherry — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Foreign aid and federal spending may be unpopular, but if we do not properly fund a US presence in Iraq, we will lose the war we have virtually won, and vastly empower Iran. The US can vastly reduce its spending in Iraq as it withdraws its combat forces. It already has reduced much of its foreign aid.

Iraq: Patterns of Violence, Casualty Trends and Emerging Security Threats

ian — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Unless major changes take place in US and Iraqi policy, American combat forces will withdraw from Iraq at the end of this year. The Iraq War will not come to an end with this withdrawal, any more than it did when the US withdrew from Iraqi cities and formally ended combat operations early in the summer of 2010.

A Threat Transformed

jdunton — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Iraq’s Coming National Challenges

amausner — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

While it is tempting to focus on Iraq’s very real political divisions -- and its ongoing, low-level insurgency – it is equally important for both Iraqis and the US to realize that they must take immediate steps to focus on the full range of issues that will define Iraq’s future.

The Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR)

amausner — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

There are times to be polite about a dismal bureaucratic failure. Wartime is not one of them.

Iraq: Lessons Learned in the Context of Regime Change in North Korea

nanderson — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Attempting to frame the U.S. stabilization and reconstruction experience in ways that may be useful to anticipating a post-regime North Korea is a difficult proposition. To begin with, North Korea’s profile today is markedly different from that of Iraq prior to the latter’s invasion in March 2003 by U.S. and British forces.

Clear Gold

jdunton — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The real wild card for political and social unrest in the Middle East over the next 20 years is not war, terrorism, or revolution—it is water. Conventional security threats dominate public debate and government thinking, but water is the true game-changer in Middle Eastern politics.

الذهب الزُلال

mentman — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

لن تنبع القلاقل السياسية والاجتماعية خلال العشرين عاما القادمة في الشرق الأوسط من الحروب، أو الإرهاب، أو الثورات، بل من منبع مفاجئ مستتر- إنه المياه.

Snatching Defeat: Shape and Fund the Future US Posture in Iraq or Lose the War

ian — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Important as the START Treaty and Afghan Wars may be, the most important single national security decision the US must make over the next six months is almost certainly its future civil and military posture in Iraq. The US cannot control the future shape of its strategic partnership with Iraq, it can only influence it.

Private Security Forces in Afghanistan and Iraq: The Potential Impact of the Montreux Document

ian — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The role of private security companies has been a constant source of concern and trouble in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Such forces are essential in nations which do not yet have adequate security forces or a rule of law but can quickly become a “necessary evil” -- or an “evil necessity” – if they do not have the proper controls.

Afghan and Iraqi Metrics and the IED Threat

ian — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0500

The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) recently issued updated information on the IED threat in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Burke Chair has prepared short analyses of the trends in the data for both Iraq and Afghanistan, which are now available on the CSIS web site.

Iran, Iraq, and the Changing Face of Defense Cooperation in the Gulf

amausner — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Southern Gulf states, the region, and the US all face a rapidly changing threat environment in the Gulf, and a sharply rising need for defense cooperation. These needs, and the changes in threat and military balance that shape them, are described in detail in a new analysis developed by the Arleigh A.

Wikileaks and the Real Face of Modern War

ecurran — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

There is no easy way to put the flood of information Wikileaks has released in context. The fact is that asymmetric warfare is inherently horrible, causes numerous civilian casualties, leads to inevitable abuses on both sides, and presents constant dilemmas in dealing with local allies that are not subject to US command and discipline.

The U.S. Transition in Iraq: Iraqi Forces and U.S. Military Aid

sherry — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The US and Iraq both face critical decisions in shaping their strategic partnership in the Gulf. Iraq is making major progress in creating effective security forces, but it faces serious problems that will delay is development of effective counterinsurgency and counterterrorism forces, its ability to transition to effective civil police capabilities, and the creation of the kind of conven

Grand Strategy in the Afghan, Pakistan, and Iraq Wars

amausner — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Grand strategy is not an American strength, and it is far too easy to become obsessed with day-to-day issues. In the case of Iraq, this means a focus on US withdrawal and the formation of a new Iraqi government.

Iraq: The Realities of U.S. "Withdrawal of Combat Forces" and the Challenges of Strategic Partnership

ian — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. has announced the end of the “combat phase” in Iraq, although it continues to fly air combat sorties over Iraq and will maintain six U.S. Advisory and Assistance Brigades with about 50,000 soldiers up to the end of 2011.

Update on the US Withdrawal From Iraq

amausner — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

There are three areas where there still seems to be confusion about the formal end of US combat operations in Iraq. Many of these issues have already been address in two sets of analyses by the Burke Chair:

The End of Operation Iraqi Freedom and DoD’s Future in Iraq

ian — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Last night, President Barack Obama announced a formal end to the U.S. combat mission in Iraq. With roughly 50,000 Americans remaining behind until next year, it is certain that U.S. service personnel have not seen the end of hostile action.

Iraq: The Realities of US "Withdrawal" of Combat Forces and the Challenges of Strategic Partnership

sherry — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The US may be announcing the “withdrawal” of its combat forces – although six Advisory and Assistance brigade and ~ 50,000 men may remain up to the end of 2011. The fact is, however, that US the withdrawal is far from over, the Iraq War is not over, it is not “won,” and any form of stable end state in Iraq is probably impossible before 2020.

Iraq: ‘Mission Accomplished’ Mark II

ecurran — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Well, he did not wear a flight suit, stand on a carrier deck, or have a “Mission Accomplished” banner behind him. The fact remains, however, that President Obama did issue a second “mission accomplished statement on Iraq on August 18th, and one just as wrong and irresponsible as the one given by President Bush:

Iraq: Strategic Partnership or Lose the "Unwon" War

sherry — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The Burke Chair has just released a 5-part report. Download the PDFs here:

Part 1: “Meeting the Challenges of 2010”
Part 2: “Measuring the Course of the War”

Geopolitics and Energy in Iraq

jdunton — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Geopolitics and Energy in Iraq addresses issues related to the March 7, 2010, Iraqi national election; the selection of a prime minister; and whether the promise of that election will be fulfilled. If a functioning government is not seated, will the country return to the sectarian conflicts that characterized its past? Senior Iraqi officials fear that the U.S.

Iraq After the Election

amausner — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The attention focused on the Afghan conflict is more than justified by the uncertain course of that war, but this is no reason for the growing neglect of Iraq. Even the best outcome of the Afghan and Pakistan conflict cannot end the threat from terrorism and extremism. At best, it will diminish it locally as the threat shifts to other countries and areas.

The Arab-Israeli Military Balance in 2010

amausner — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Major changes are taking place in the Arab-Israeli military balance.

Iraq and the United States

jdunton — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0400

If Iraq and the United States are to win the war in any meaningful and lasting sense, they must translate the Strategic Agreement they signed in November 2008 into a lasting and functional strategic partnership.

Iraq after the Death of al Qaeda in Iraq’s Leadership

mentman — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Q1: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced on Monday that Iraqi forces had killed the leaders of al Qaeda in Iraq and the Islamic State of Iraq. What impact will these deaths have on violence in Iraq?

The Uncertain Politics behind Iraq's Election

amausner — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Although Iraq has made political progress over the past few years it still falls far short of the level of political accommodation it needs to control its ethnic and sectarian divisions, ensure adequate representation for all ethno-religious groups, and create the conditions for effective governance. Despite the success of the national elections in March 2010, when over two thirds o

Capacity for Change

jdunton — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

The U.S. government is in the midst of a serious review of how to engage more effectively with developing countries. A significant part of this reflection entails debates about how best to reform foreign aid, and there is a stunningly broad consensus that improvement is needed across the board. New legislation has recently been introduced in the U.S. Congress.

The Real Results of the Iraqi Election

sherry — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

No one can travel to Iraqi without being impressed by the steady rate at which life is becoming more normal in spite of continuing low level violence. Cities like Baghdad are coming alive, Iraqis are out on the streets, and there is a level of social activity that was not present even as recently as last November.

Iraq After the Election

sherry — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Economic Challenges in Post-Conflict Iraq

amausner — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Economics are as important to Iraq’s stability and political accommodation as security and governance, and they are equally critical to creating a successful strategic partnership between Iraq and the United States. It is far from easy, however, to analyze many of the key factors and trends involved. Iraqi data are weak and sometimes absent. U.S.

Iraq: Meeting the Challenges of 2010

amausner — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0500

Iraq must now move from elections to dealing with a host of major challenges. The Burke Chair has developed a briefing that highlights these challenges in terms of security, political accommodation, economics, and governance using material developed by the US country team, Department of Defense, Iraqi government, and the Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction.

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.