Arguments over U.S. policy in Iraq are currently dominating the policy debate. The number of “strategies” for Iraq increases commensurate with the intensity of the debate. This short document, which was originally published on the Web site of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, aims to dispassionately lay out several of the most prominent options regarding U.S. policy in Iraq. While there are dozens of ideas regarding how to proceed, for each option listed below, an influential politician or analyst has presented the argument publicly. A link to a source document is available after each option. CURRENT POLICY The [...]
It’s official, the new SECDEF will be Robert M. Gates, current president of Texas A&M University, and former director of central intelligence and deputy national security adviser under George H.W. Bush. But more significant than his past experience is the fact that Gates is a member of the Iraq Study Group, a commission created at the behest of Congress to recommend strategy changes in Iraq — and led by another Bush I confidante, James A. Baker III. Thus, Gates’ appointment is a clear signal that the administration intends to embrace many of the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. Those [...]
