Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security

Kenneth Katzman | Congressional Research Service | 2009-10-28

This report provides an overview of opinions about the security situation in Iraq in the post-Saddam era, with a particular focus on possible scenarios and difficulties surrounding the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country. "Despite the fact that recent high profile attacks have not stimulated a return to sectarian warfare in Iraq, some U.S. officials believe that a U.S. military presence might be needed beyond 2011 to ensure further political progress and produce a unified, democratic Iraq that can govern and defend itself and is an ally in the war on terror," the report states.