One year into the occupation of Iraq the United States and its
Coalition partners remain in discussions over the country’s
fate. The deliberations have generally focused on the involvement of
the United Nations, the schedule for handing over sovereignty to a
democratic Iraqi government, and ultimately what the Iraqi
government should resemble. The terms of the debate have regularly
been sidelined by unforeseen events, including the recent rebellion
in Fallujah, Shiite opposition in the south, grandstanding by local
politicians, demagoguery, defection of Iraqi police and security
forces and the wavering of Coalition partners, to name but a few.
While progress is clearly being made in some areas, there are
numerous signs that Iraq may not be ready for the June 30 transition
of power. The top U.S. administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, has
suggested that by June 30 Iraqi security forces simply will not be
up to the task of defending against insurgents. Secretary of
Defense Rumsfeld is more optimistic and remains committed to the
June 30 deadline.
After Saddam: Assessing the
Reconstruction of Iraq
Kenneth M. Pollack, in Foreign
Affairs January/February 2004. A detailed assessment of the
Iraqi reconstruction efforts to date.
Strategic Insight Occupation of
Iraq: Geostrategic and Institutional Challenges 
James A. Russell, Center for Contemporary Conflict, August 1,
2003. Discusses the military implications and opportunities of the
Iraq conflict.
Iraq: One Year After
Report of an independent task force on post-conflict Iraq
sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, March 2004. A
thorough report on the status of the Iraqi reconstruction project
one year after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
The Right Road to Sovereignty in
Iraq
Marina Ottoway and Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace, October 2003. A detailed look at the transition to
democracy in Iraq, suggesting that the Bush administration is pushing
for transition too quickly.
Picking up the Peaces:
The UN’s Evolving Post-conflict Roles
William J. Durtch, in The Washington Quarterly, Autumn 2003.
Analyzes the UN’s continuing roles in peacekeeping, and recommends
enlarging their power in Iraq.
Why Oil Won't be a Quick
Fix
Edward C. Chow, Foreign Policy, July/August 2003.
Details the problems with Iraq’s oil industry, and how it will take
much work to reach full profitability, concluding that oil alone
will never fund Iraq’s reconstruction.
Foreign Irregulars in Iraq: The
Next Jihad?
Jonathan Schanzer, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
April 10, 2003. Schanzer believes that foreign fighters will come to
Iraq, but be ineffectual in significantly hurting the US occupation
authorities.
Special Policy Forum Report: The
Shi'is and the Future of Iraq
Address to the Washington Institute's Special Policy Forum by
Yitzhak Nakash, March 4, 2003. Nakash stresses the prospects for a
peaceful transition in Iraq, and how Iraqi Shiites are not the same
as Iranian Shiites.
Iran’s Threat to Coalition Forces in
Iraq
Raymond Tanter, The Washington Institute for Near East
Policy, January 15, 2004. Analyzes the potential for Iran to derail US
policy in Iraq.
Chair’s Update to the
Report of an Independent Task Force on Post-Conflict Iraq
Thomas R. Pickering and James R. Shlesinger, report of an
independent task force on post-conflict Iraq sponsored by the
Council on Foreign Relations, June 2003. A detailed look at the
ongoing US occupation of Iraq, covering many aspects of the
rebuilding effort.
Middle Eastern Reactions to
Saddam’s Capture
Jeff Carey and Joyce Karam, the Washington Institute for Near
East Policy, December 15, 2003. A compilation of statements by
government officials and prominent persons throughout the Middle
East reacting to the news of Saddam’s capture.
Insurgency and
Counterinsurgency in Iraq
Steven Metz, The Washington Quarterly, Winter 2003-2004.
Metz thinks that the power and importance of the insurgency in Iraq
has been underestimated, and that the US needs a larger political
and military commitment to fight it.
Can Iraq Be Democratic?
This paper by Patrick Basham suggests that in the short to
medium term, U.S. efforts will not result in democracy.
Transnational Threat: The
Emerging Strategic Lessons from the US Intervention in Iraq
Anthony Cordesman, February 11, 2004. A long and detailed look
at US actions in Iraq, and extensive recommendations for future US
policy.
The Lessons of the Iraq War:
Main Report
Anthony Cordesman, July 21, 2003. A very long and thorough look
at the military lessons learned from the Iraq war, and its impact on
future US military operations.
One Year On: Nation Building in
Iraq
Anthony Cordesman, April 8, 2004 A very thorough report on the
status of the Iraqi reconstruction project one year after the fall
of Saddam Hussein.
Brookings Briefing Iraq: One Year
On
A Brookings Institute conference, March 10, 2004. A long and
lively discussion on many of the major policy issues surrounding the
Iraq conflict.
Intimate Enemies
Michael S. Doran short op/ed article from the Council on Foreign
Relations/Washington Post, February 18, 2004. Discusses the
Sunni-Shiite rivalry in Iraq.
Reconstructing the Middle East?
Rachel Bronson article in the Brown Journal of International
Affairs, Fall 2003. Argues that the US needs international help in
re-building Iraq, looks to Bosnia as an example.
Iraq: Building a New Security
Structure
International Crisis Group Report, December 23, 2003. A report
on the CPA’s mishandling of the security situation in Iraq, and the
slow pace and reckless implementation of plans to create new Iraqi
security forces.
Iraq’s Shiites Under
Occupation
International Crisis Group Report, September 9, 2003. This
briefing paper describes the current state of Iraqi Shiism and the
multitude of political and religious organizations that are seeking
to give it voice.
Governing Iraq
International Crisis Group Report, August 25, 2003. A long and
detailed set of recommendations for the future shape and policy of
governing bodies in Iraq.
The Hollow Army
James Fallows, The Atlantic Monthly, March 2004. Fallows believes
that the US army is stretched dangerously thin by the Iraq war, and
could not handle another major crisis.
A Relatively Promising
Counterinsurgency War: Assessing Progress in Iraq
Testimony of Michael E. O’Hanlon before the Senate Armed
Services Committee, October 29, 2003. O’Hanlon believes that
defeating the insurgency will be hard, but eventually the US will
win.
The Middle East in the Shadow of
Afghanistan and Iraq
F. Steven Larrabee, May 6, 2003. Summary of a RAND conference
on the Middle East, covers a wide range of issues surrounding the
Iraq War.
Cost
of War
A real-time, ongoing counter showing the current cost of the war
in Iraq to the US, searchable by region, or comparable to government
spending on health, education, etc.
FY 2005 Defense Budge Testimony
Prepared Testimony of Rumsfeld for the Senate and House Armed
Services Committees. February 2004. Rumsfeld discusses Bush's 2005
budget request for the Dept of Defense. He goes over everything
they have done in the past year and what they hope to achieve in the
next year. Lots of statistics/data on how much money went where and
how the DoD has seen improvements and started initiatives.
Terror is Losing
Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. March 19, 2004. Wolfowitz
draws from a personal experience with Iraqi women to show that
terror is losing. It is written after the March 2 bombing that
killed 170 at Shi'a shrines in Baghdad. Very hopeful and optimistic
tone.
Council on Foreign Relations:
Progress in the Global War on Terrorism
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas J Feith. November
13, 2003. Starts from 9/11, then to the war in Afghanistan and
Iraq; argues that we are defeating terrorism.
Iraq "The Day After": Internal
Dynamics in Post-Saddam Iraq
Analysis by Dr. Phebe Marr from the Winter 2003 issue of the
Naval War College Review.
War and the Art of
Governance
Nadia Schadlow. This article analyzes the role of the military
in governance and suggests possible ways to increase its
efficacy.
The
reshaping of Sunni politics in Iraq
Dr. Gareth Stansfield
March 2004. This Aljazeera article discusses the political
transformation of Iraq since conflict began in March of 2003. It
examines the political relationships between Iraq's ethnically
divided populace, paying specific attention to how the Sunni's have
lost their footing in the Iraqi political scene.
The
Shia factor: Key to Iraq's future?
Amal Hamdan April
2004 This Aljazeera news article discusses the importance of
Iraq's Shia population in preserving the country's security and
in implementing direct elections.
Iraq's Future vs. The UN's Track
Record
Amal Hamdan April 2004. Schwartz uses the
example of Kosovo to discuss the future of Iraq. He explores the
role of the United Nations in both cases and addresses the issue
of privatization in this short article.
Legitimacy Risks and Peace-Building Opportunities:
Scoping the Issues for Businesses in Post-War Iraq
Andrew Newton and Dr. Malaika Culverwell. This
article focuses on the role of international businesses and their
legitimacy in post-war Iraq, where the authors anticipate difficulty
in considering the parallel example of the current US military
intervention in Iraq.
Peace and
Development in Post-War Iraq
Jon Barnett, Beth
Eggleston, and Michael Webber June 2003. This paper broadly
discusses some of the challenges in reconstructing Iraq. It abstains
from speculating about motives and legality of the US-led invasion
of Iraq. Rather, it considers the capacity of a US-imposed
reconstruction to promote peace and sustain development. The
discussion draws from previous reconstruction efforts and that which
is presently known about Iraq.
A Year After Iraq War
March 2004. A summary of opinion polls findings
showing malcontent among the international community in regards to
the war in Iraq, animosity towards American leadership in the Muslim
community and favorable opinions towards terrorism in Arab
countries.
Compiled and annotated by editorial assistants Adam Mausner and Siheun Song in consultation with Sean Costigan, Senior Editor for CIAO.
