Policy Recommendations for the Nation of Iraq, Essay Example

Status of Iraq 2009

As of 2009 the Iraq War had been raging for many years. The situation in Iraq was quite different than it had been under the control of former leader Saddam Hussein. As part of the working processes involving military and political activity in Iraq, a new government was developed, and the citizens of Iraq were able to participate in free elections. Despite some of the advances that occurred in Iraq as a result of U.S. intervention, the country still faced significant challenges in 2009. These issues involved a number of different sectors; the governmental and political control of the country, the ongoing security issues, the rebuilding of infrastructure damaged or destroyed during the war, and the economic sector, including the production of oil.

The year 2009 was both a landmark year for Iraq, as well as a period of transition. One of the most notable political events of the year was the signing of the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the U.S. and Iraq. The SOFA spelled out the terms for much of the future military involvement by the U.S. in Iraq. It specified the manner in which U.S. forces would serve to provide security in the nation, and also provided an outline for the drawdown of U.S. forces in coming years.

Part of the SOFA also included a diplomatic component, described as “a Declaration of Principles for a Long-term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America.” The overall agreement covered a number of issues, including the agreements between the nations about how the U.S. would continue its efforts to combat Al Qaeda in coordination with Iraqi governmental and military agencies.

The most politically charged component is the United States’ insistence to maintain all jurisdictions in countries hosting their military.  For example, a US serviceman who commits an offense in Iraq is under American jurisdiction, and thus subject to a trial, in civil and criminal matters, by an American judge. Naturally, it is hard to say that the laws of its democratic country should not protect an American troop, but it is also difficult to say how impartial decisions are; especially if the nation has no comparable rights. Overall, America’s SOFA policy in Iraq has fanned political flames, and has only hurt President Obama’s foreign policy efforts.

Iraq 2009-2013

In early 2009 Iraq took control of security in the Green Zone, a heavily fortified area that had been under U.S. control since the start of the war in 2003. The Iraqi government noted this as a significant milestone in the move towards complete sovereignty for the nation of Iraq. In March of the same year, U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to withdraw the majority of U.S, forces from the region over the next year, with the aim of ending combat operations. As the withdrawal began, tens of thousands of U.S. troops left the country, although thousands remained as part of the security agreement between Iraq and the United States.

The relatively new Iraqi government continued to strengthen, and a number of political parties, including groups contradicting the existing leaders, began to form. Throughout this period, incidents of terrorism and similar attacks continued to take place on a regular basis. The attacks included frequent car bombings at security checkpoints, as well as the planting of roadside IEDs to target U.S. troops and Iraq security forces. On the political front, the Iraqi government signed various political-cooperation agreements with other nations, including Japan.

In the summer of 2010 the last U.S. combat brigades left Iraq; forces left behind were dedicated to providing security, and assisting the Iraqi military with training and oversight, as it became increasingly self-sustainable. In fall 2010, the Iraqi Parliament reappointed President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to their positions, further cementing the strength of post-invasion Iraq.

One of the most notable developments of 2011 was the resumption of oil production in oil fields located in the Kurdistan region. Oil production is clearly vital to the redevelopment of Iraq, between domestic issues related to reconstruction, Iraq’s ongoing stability as a nation, as well as its involvement in international trade and political and economic activity. Despite many of the positive changes in Iraq in this period however, security issues remain an ongoing problem. As U.S. troops completed their withdrawal from Iraq, political and security stability began to deteriorate.

The political, military, and security issues continued between 2011 and 2013. Opposition forces in the government seek the arrest of Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi. Divisions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims continue to cause problems in the Iraqi government, as disagreements between parties and individuals representing these two sides lead to disruptions in Parliament and other government agencies. These disagreements also manifest into security issues and coordinated attacks launched between Sunni and Shia groups, including an attack in early 2012, killing hundreds of Shiite Muslims. As the unrest and security issues mount, the country’s oil production is disrupted, and at times halted entirely.

As of early 2013 the situation does not appear to be improving significantly. In the absence of U.S. troops many of the improvements seen in the few prior years have been rolled back by continuing sectarian violence, political discord, and failure to maintain consistent oil production. Iraq’s economy is in shambles. Despite the efforts of the U.S. to leave national security to the Iraqi military and security forces, and to leave behind only the necessary troops to assist with these issues, security issues have impeded this measure, as one of the country’s biggest problems.

Current U.S. Policy towards Iraq

U.S. policy towards Iraq must take into account a range of issues. Individual concerns regarding domestic activity, as well as regional and international concerns must be taken into account. The Middle East as a whole is a vitally strategic region, and any problems that threaten the safety and security of Iraq also threatens to release civil unrest in the region, and by extension the international community. As such, the U.S. has a vital interest in seeing the situation in Iraq improve, and must adopt policies that are designed to ease the security issues and other problems in the country and the region.

There are a number of specific concerns for the U.S related to Iraq and to the Middle East. The region is one of the world’s leading suppliers of petroleum; as such, the U.S. and the rest of the world have a significant stake in seeing the region remain stable. Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been running high in recent years, as evidence points to the notion that Iran is seeking to develop the capacity to produce nuclear weapons. As Iraq and Iran are neighbors, it is vital to U.S. interests that Iraqi stability is maintained, ensuring the nations have a working strategic partnership. If the nation of Iraq collapses, SOFA as well as any other agreements and partnerships between the U.S. and Iraq will be meaningless.

What seems to be clear is that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq allowed ongoing problems to resurface. This also demonstrates that the U.S. role in helping to alleviate those problems was ineffective, and the presence of U.S. troops in the country prior to the withdrawal was only keeping a lid on these problems temporarily. Without the presence of United Nations-backed troops providing the majority of the security forces, the nation appears to be incapable of maintaining control. While it is unlikely that the U.S. will send troops back to Iraq at the levels they reached during the actual conflict, it does seem that the U.S. will have to adopt changes in policy if the situation does not improve. Such changes will have to involve not just military actions and involvement, but also the coordinated diplomatic efforts. Governmental functions, as well as the involvement of international development organizations and other NGOs can be vital tools in maintaining Iraqi stability.

U.S. policy at the moment appears to be in a holding pattern. Since the withdrawal of troops the U.S. has continued to support the Iraqi security forces, and takes the public position that it supports the ongoing stability of the nation. At the same time, there has been no significant public acknowledgement of the effect that the troop withdrawal had on Iraq, and the fact remains without the presence of US troops and the international community, the nation appears poised to descend back into chaos.

Recommendations

As a strong supplier of petroleum, the fact that oil production in Iraq has managed to continue, and even grow slightly in the last few years, is an encouraging trend. The U.S. must do all it can from a diplomatic and economic perspective to ensure that oil production continues and grows. If the nation of Iraq is to survive its current problems, however, it may be necessary for the U.S. to take measures that may appear to be somewhat drastic. While it may not be a pleasant fact to acknowledge, it is possible that the U.S. will have to increase its military involvement in Iraq as a means of countering some of the problems that have arisen since the troops withdrew, similar to what happened in Afghanistan.

Such a decision would of course be hard to sell to the American people, considering the U.S. involvement in Iraq has been going on for a decade. Before the country descends into complete civil war, however, it may become necessary for the U.S. to intervene, and beef up their role in the security of the nation. Such an intervention would not be described as, or conducted as, the sort of invasion that took place at the start of the war. Any such actions would have to be done with the cooperation of the Iraqi and U.S. governments.

The situation for the U.S. has a “catch-22”; sending troops back to Iraq would be unpopular domestically and internationally, but allowing the government to collapse would be seen as the fault of the U.S., and would cause enormous problems in the region and beyond. The best recommendation for U.S. action in Iraq, based on current conditions, is to further seek international cooperation. Developing a coordinated international security force to send into Iraq to avoid a Civil War that would threaten the stability of the entire region is the best means overall; for both Iraq and US foreign policy.

References

http://www.state.gov/p/nea/ci/iz/c7568.htm

http://csis.org/publication/iraq-after-us-withdrawal-us-policy-and-iraqi-search-security-and-stability

http://www.uspolicy.be/dossier/iraq-united-states-policy-toward-iraq-dossier

http://www.brookings.edu/research/testimony/2011/11/15-iraq-pollack

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14546763

http://www.sigir.mil/files/quarterlyreports/July2012/Section4_-_July_2012.pdf

http://www.state.gov/p/nea/rls/rpt/c34687.htm