Friday, September 07, 2007
A summary of recent reports on the Iraq war
Reports
(AP) - Findings and recommendations by recent studies on the Iraq war:
The Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, chaired by retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, released Sept. 6:
-Iraq's security forces will be unable to assume control of the country without U.S. help in the next 12 to 18 months.
-Reduction of U.S. forces and handing off combat mission to Iraqis is "possible and prudent," and changes could begin in early 2008.
-The national police force is rife with corruption and infiltrated by militia forces and should be disbanded.
-An adequate logistics system to support the Iraqi army is at least two years away.
-On the Web: http://www.csis.org
The Government Accountability Office progress report on Iraq, released Sept. 4:
-Of its 18 stated political and security goals, Iraq failed to meet 11 of them with the least progress made on the political front.
-Iraq fully met three of the 18 goals: establishing joint security stations in Baghdad, ensuring minority rights in the Iraqi legislature and creating support committees for the Baghdad security plan.
-Violence remains high, and it is unclear whether sectarian-fueled attacks has decreased because it is too difficult to prove intent.
-The number of Iraqi security forces capable of conducting independent operations has declined, and militias remain armed.
-On the Web: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071195.pdf
White House progress report on Iraq, dated July 12:
-Of its 18 stated political and security goals, Iraq has made satisfactory progress on eight of them, including eliminating safe havens for outlaws and deploying three trained brigades to Baghdad.
-Judges Iraq has made unsatisfactory progress on nine benchmarks, including increasing the number of Iraqi security forces able to operate independently and passing major legislation believed critical to calming sectarian feuds.
-Judges that it is too early to judge Iraq's progress on two benchmarks: enacting amnesty legislation and establishing a program to disarm militias.
-On the Web: http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/iraq/2007/FinalBenchmarkReport.pdf
The National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, released Aug. 23:
-Represented the most authoritative written judgments of all 16 spy agencies, with the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency as key contributors.
-Determined that the Iraqi government is strained by rampant violence, deep sectarian differences among its political parties and stymied leadership.
-Found Iraq's neighbors will continue to try to expand their leverage in the fractured state in anticipation that the U.S. will soon leave.
-Noted some security progress but elusive hopes for reconciliation among Iraq's feuding groups.
The Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq, chaired by retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones, released Sept. 6:
-Iraq's security forces will be unable to assume control of the country without U.S. help in the next 12 to 18 months.
-Reduction of U.S. forces and handing off combat mission to Iraqis is "possible and prudent," and changes could begin in early 2008.
-The national police force is rife with corruption and infiltrated by militia forces and should be disbanded.
-An adequate logistics system to support the Iraqi army is at least two years away.
-On the Web: http://www.csis.org
The Government Accountability Office progress report on Iraq, released Sept. 4:
-Of its 18 stated political and security goals, Iraq failed to meet 11 of them with the least progress made on the political front.
-Iraq fully met three of the 18 goals: establishing joint security stations in Baghdad, ensuring minority rights in the Iraqi legislature and creating support committees for the Baghdad security plan.
-Violence remains high, and it is unclear whether sectarian-fueled attacks has decreased because it is too difficult to prove intent.
-The number of Iraqi security forces capable of conducting independent operations has declined, and militias remain armed.
-On the Web: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071195.pdf
White House progress report on Iraq, dated July 12:
-Of its 18 stated political and security goals, Iraq has made satisfactory progress on eight of them, including eliminating safe havens for outlaws and deploying three trained brigades to Baghdad.
-Judges Iraq has made unsatisfactory progress on nine benchmarks, including increasing the number of Iraqi security forces able to operate independently and passing major legislation believed critical to calming sectarian feuds.
-Judges that it is too early to judge Iraq's progress on two benchmarks: enacting amnesty legislation and establishing a program to disarm militias.
-On the Web: http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/iraq/2007/FinalBenchmarkReport.pdf
The National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq, released Aug. 23:
-Represented the most authoritative written judgments of all 16 spy agencies, with the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency as key contributors.
-Determined that the Iraqi government is strained by rampant violence, deep sectarian differences among its political parties and stymied leadership.
-Found Iraq's neighbors will continue to try to expand their leverage in the fractured state in anticipation that the U.S. will soon leave.
-Noted some security progress but elusive hopes for reconciliation among Iraq's feuding groups.
Labels: GAO, Gen. James Jones, Iraq, National Intelligence Estimate, reports, White House progress report
Iraqi govt advisor lashes back against U.S. report critical of Iraqi security forces
Government
(AP) -- An Iraqi government adviser on Thursday disputed a new U.S. report critical of the country's security forces, saying the independent assessment was unacceptable interference in internal affairs. Yassin Majid, an adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, said "it is not the duty of the independent committee to ask for changes at the Interior Ministry, especially when it comes to security apparatus."
His comments came a day after a study led by retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Jones found that Iraq's security forces will be unable to take control of the country in the next 18 months, and Baghdad's national police force is so rife with corruption it should be scrapped entirely. The assessment was expected to factor heavily into Congress' debate on the war. Republicans see success by the Iraqi forces as critical to bringing U.S. troops home, while an increasing number of Democrats say the U.S. should stop training and equipping such units altogether.
"This is an Iraqi affair and we will not accept interference by anyone in such work, whether the Congress or others," Majid told The Associated Press by telephone. "The report is inaccurate and not official and we consider it interference in our internal affairs." Majid also stressed that al-Maliki's government had ordered some members of security agencies fired because of corruption charges and links to militias and said that policy had been extended to other agencies.
"The al-Maliki government will do this with all state agencies. We will not take dictation from reports," he said.
The 20-member panel of mostly retired senior military and police officers concluded that Iraq's military, in particular its army, shows the most promise of becoming a viable, independent security force with time. But the group predicts an adequate logistics system to support these ground forces is at least another two years away. The report also offered a scathing assessment of Iraq's Interior Ministry and recommended scrapping Iraq's national police force, which it described as dysfunctional and infiltrated by militias.
His comments came a day after a study led by retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. James Jones found that Iraq's security forces will be unable to take control of the country in the next 18 months, and Baghdad's national police force is so rife with corruption it should be scrapped entirely. The assessment was expected to factor heavily into Congress' debate on the war. Republicans see success by the Iraqi forces as critical to bringing U.S. troops home, while an increasing number of Democrats say the U.S. should stop training and equipping such units altogether.
"This is an Iraqi affair and we will not accept interference by anyone in such work, whether the Congress or others," Majid told The Associated Press by telephone. "The report is inaccurate and not official and we consider it interference in our internal affairs." Majid also stressed that al-Maliki's government had ordered some members of security agencies fired because of corruption charges and links to militias and said that policy had been extended to other agencies.
"The al-Maliki government will do this with all state agencies. We will not take dictation from reports," he said.
The 20-member panel of mostly retired senior military and police officers concluded that Iraq's military, in particular its army, shows the most promise of becoming a viable, independent security force with time. But the group predicts an adequate logistics system to support these ground forces is at least another two years away. The report also offered a scathing assessment of Iraq's Interior Ministry and recommended scrapping Iraq's national police force, which it described as dysfunctional and infiltrated by militias.
Labels: Gen. James Jones, Iraqi security forces, The Jones report, Yassin Majid
