Iraqi security forces

secure Iraqi state and stable political environment is probably illusory and likely fragile if it indeed exists, and that the premature departure of a stabilizing external force could result in the worst possible outcome for both Iraqi and American national interests – a regression…

Larry Diamond author of “What went wrong in Iraq”, there are multiple reasons that led to Iraq’s poor reconstruction. The problems consisted of security, national insecurity, being able to close the legitimacy gap, and building a government that all different races will accept. Iraq…

the enemy’s force. However, how does one engage insurgents who do not openly fight but fight indirectly with suicide bombings and vehicle-borne IEDs. Another principle to understand is the battle space or environment as a measurement of effectiveness. All spaces should assume to be compromised with IEDs or insurgents living amongst the population. US forces measure their effectiveness by how much ground forces cover. In Iraq, US forces were present throughout a province, however insurgent…

The AOI strategy was based on six essential elements that derived from a proposal meeting with senior Iraqi officials; let the Iraqis lead, help Iraqis protect the population, isolate extremists, create space for political progress, diversify political and economic efforts, and situate the strategy in a regional approach (Mansoor 2013). The rapid deployment of five additional Brigades, in support of surge operations, spanned over a five-month period, from January to May of 2007. The…

Field Manuel 3-24 was put into practice when the US’s commitment to COIN was confirmed in 2007 when US President George W. Bush announced “The New Way Forward”, or the infamous “surge” of troops in Iraq by 30 000 soldiers to protect civilians and occupy new positions in 4GW. Under the objective of providing security for civilians and building democracy and government infrastructure (as studied in Biddle, Friedman and Shapiro), the main goal of COIN was focused on protecting civilian populations…

Imagine a small, yet strong group of people living in mountainous regions in the Middle East. For centuries, these people have developed their own culture and identity. Yet, they are not acknowledged as their own sovereign and the nation that lays claim to them viciously persecutes them. For the Kurdish people of northern Iraq, the disdain of their neighbors has plagued them for centuries. On March 16, 1988, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered a series of chemical attacks on the Kurdish…

He too mentions oil exports from the Kurdistan region but relates Anti Kurd-Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain al -Shahristani approved of the pipelines, (Gunter 2011, 1626-1627). Thus, Gunter would disagree with Stansfield, in that it was more national than international issues, which caused prevention of a Kurdish state. A major issue for the Kurds was the enforcement of both the Iraqi Constitution and Federalism. Gunter points out, while the Kurds initially had a majority of the seats in their region…

After Saddam Hussein 's regime was toppled, the denationalization of the oil companies began. This was in opposition to economic development because many Iraqis depended on these jobs that were not being outsourced to companies for a fraction of the cost. An example of this is the story she tells of the man named Mahmud where a fight broke out in the factory he worked in over privatization. Once, the privatization was completed the contractors failed consistently to provide the services they…

Geographic Advantages, Disadvantages, and Natural Resources of Iraqi Kurdistan The purpose of this research is to identify the distinct geographic advantages and disadvantages Iraqi Kurdistan currently possess in order to develop strategies for resource sharing, stability, governance and regional stability to a unified Iraq. The primary focus of selecting key geographic advantages and disadvantages is to have the ability to apply one or all of the lessons learned to effect change in Iraq and the…

Yezidi Kurds in northern Iraq never transcended their religious beliefs or identity in order to partake in Kurdish nationalist movements. Nelida Fuccaro, professor at University of Exeter, in her essay “Ethnicity, State Formation, and Conscription in Postcolonial Iraq” examines the complexities of state attempts to conscript Yezidi Kurds into the Iraqi army in the 1930s. While discussing the tribal identities of Jabal Sinjar, she notes how the relationship between the Yezidi Kurds and Sunni…