It is too soon to tell if the Iraq war was "worth it." That depends on whether Iraq can make the difficult transition to become a stable democracy and an ally against Islamist extremism, Iran, and terrorist groups. But on balance, the Iraq war was a risk worth taking in…
Last week White House Press Secretary Jay Carney promised the President would soon make a major address “on the Middle East and U.S. policy in the Middle East...to a broader audience than just the Arab world.” It is long past time for President Barack Obama to lay out a plan…
While all eyes are on the political violence in Egypt, the Obama Administration has labored in crisis mode, struggling to stay ahead of the rapidly moving events. Washington’s problem is that publicly the White House appears to be floundering, focusing myopically on events on Tahrir Square rather than exercising real…
President Obama’s televised speech on Iraq will mark the “official” end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq and the transition to an “advise and assist” mission. The President undoubtedly hopes to assure voters ahead of the November elections that he is winding down the war. The irony is that current…
Iraq’s March 7 parliamentary elections will be a major milestone that will help determine that nation’s future political evolution and prospects for security and stability. Additionally, these elections will significantly affect the Obama Administration’s plans for a rapid drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq. …
Peter Brookes discussing Iraq and Afghanistan. …
Peter Brookes discussing whether we should declare victory and leave Iraq. …
Jim Phillips commenting on U.S and Iraqi relations. …
When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki meets with President Barack Obama at the White House tomorrow several issues will be high on the agenda, including the need to accelerate Iraq's lagging political reconciliation efforts. But despite the importance of this long-term process, one topic deserves even more urgent…
Your excellencies, friends, fellow workers in the field of justice and peace, it is indeed an honor to be able to share a few thoughts and pose a few questions on this topic that I believe you are best able to address. I first met Pilar Lara over five years ago in Washington when…
The falling statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad is an evocative image. It signals that the U.S.-led military action against the Hussein regime has been a success. This signal of success is backed by tangible evidence of a successful military operation in more substantive terms. This evidence is found in a review of the…
A few Members of Congress, motivated by American combat in the Middle East, have called for the reinstatement of a compulsory military draft. The case for coercing young citizens to join the military is supposedly based on social justice?that all should serve?and…
On the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the United States has proved its critics wrong--again. The U.S.-led surge has been a remarkable success, and the fledgling democracy is no longer on the path to civil war. The ballot box and the rule of law are now replacing terrorism, fear, and intimidation as…
As fighting in Iraq winds down and coalition forces stamp out the last remaining pockets of resistance, coalition forces and humanitarian agencies are only beginning to document the atrocities that occurred under this brutal regime. According to senior officials at the U.S. Department of State, "the Iraqi regime has not only acted contrary to international…
An Iraqi tribunal has convicted former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein of mass murder and sentenced him to death. Bringing Saddam and his henchmen to justice is a welcome milestone on Iraq's grueling path from dictatorship to democracy. Without resolving Saddam's fate, national reconciliation would be a difficult proposition for Iraq's Shia Arabs and Kurds, long…
The chronic terrorist violence in Iraq, rising projections of rebuilding costs, and growing strains on U.S. troop deployments have prodded the Bush Administration to shift gears on its Iraq policy and explore a greater role for the United Nations. But negotiations with France and other members of the U.N. Security Council that opposed…
In his address to a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush remarked that "America has no truer friend than Great Britain. Once again we are joined in a great cause." Since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, Prime Minister Tony Blair has stood "shoulder to shoulder"…
Benjamin Franklin spoke very little during the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Like a similarly silent George Washington, his major contribution was in lending his name and prestige to the effort. On the last day, however, Dr. Franklin rose and delivered what may have been the most important speech of his life. I confess that there…
On September 17, the White House sent to Congress a request for $87 billion in supplemental funding for military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the supplemental request, $65.6 billion is earmarked for the Department of Defense to fund the war on terrorism, including ongoing operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. However,…
Iraq's January 31 provincial elections were another important milestone on Iraq's long and difficult journey toward becoming a stable democracy. According to preliminary results, the big electoral winner was Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition. While 10 percent of the votes must still be counted, it is apparent that the relatively peaceful atmosphere on…
Congress tomorrow will begin a second round of hearings on Iraq featuring General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. A major topic is likely to be the recent round of fighting in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, and its implications for U.S. policy. Although the clashes in Basra have been widely misreported as a one-sided defeat for…
As the battle between Iraqi security forces and Iranian-backed Shia militias raged in the port of Basra over the past week, British troops remained largely on the sidelines. Thirty-thousand Iraqi soldiers were sent into the city by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to retake control from the Mahdi Army led by Iranian-based firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr,…
In recent days there has been an uptick of fighting in Iraq. Shiite militia groups have battled with government security forces in Basra, and the fighting has spilled over into Baghdad and other cities. In contrast to the spiraling violence two years ago, when Iranian-backed extremists and al-Qaeda terrorists tried to goad the country toward…
This year’s National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., will have a special focus on Iraq veterans—and a way to...…
North Korea unveiled a new missile during its April parade celebrating the 100th anniversary of the country’s founder,...…
Though the idea has been thoroughly discredited, the President and Members of Congress are still considering a large,...…
Since the May 2, 2011, Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound, President Obama has lauded the mission’s success...…
[caption id="attachment_86938" align="alignnone" width="550" caption=" Iraqis inspect the damage after a wave of attacks...…
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta presided over a muted ceremony in Baghdad yesterday marking the end of the U.S....…
Last Thursday marked the closing of the 38th Baghdad International Trade Fair, an annual event intended to showcase...…
Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) visited Heritage this week to give the annual B.C. Lee lecture, focusing on the...…
In this week’s Heritage in Focus, foreign policy expert James Carafano fills us in on the latest news throughout the...…
To hear President Barack Obama describe the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, you'd think it was a long-anticipated...…
John McCain, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham
Reuel Marc Gerecht
Editorial
Marie Colvin
Peter D. Feaver
Austin Bay
Paul Ignatius
Anthony H. Cordesman
Bing West
Myriam BenraadForeignPolicy.com
Charles Krauthammer
Eric Hamilton
Sudarsan Raghavan
Clarissa Ward
Martin Sieff
Ralph Peters
William Kristol
Douglas J. Feith
Max Boot
Ann Gildroy and Michael O'Hanlon
Stephen Biddle, Michael E. O'Hanlon, and Kenneth M. Pollack
Frederick W. Kagan
Nada Bakri
Hannah Allam, Jonathan S. Landay and Warren P. Strobel
Michael Knights
Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham
Leila Fadel
Ernesto Londono
Karen DeYoung
Peter Feaver
Victor Davis Hanson
Bill Roggio
Dan Senor
Simon Henderson
Gina Chon
Kimi Yoshino
Ernesto Londoño
Ahmed Ali
Bing West and Max Boot
Marisa Cochrane Sullivan
Kimberly Kagan and Frederick W. Kagan
Michael E. O'Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack
John R. Lott, Jr.
Mark Kukis
Anthony Shadid
Michael Rubin
Michael O'Hanlon
Pete Hegseth
Eli Lake
Mary Beth Sheridan
Ann Scott Tyson
Peter Wehner
Fouad Ajami
Rod Nordland
Stephen Biddle, Michael E. O'Hanlon and Kenneth M. Pollack
Marc A. Thiessen
Howard LaFranchi
Melik Kaylan
Transcript
The Editors
Claire Russo and Marisa Cochrane
Ambassador Charles Ries, Coordinator for Economic Transition in Iraq, U.S. State Department
Scott Carpenter and Michael Rubin
Stephen F. Hayes
Charles Levinson
Gary Langer
J. Scott Carpenter and Ahmed Ali
Frederick W. Kagan and Kimberly Kagan
James Pethokoukis
Frederick W. Kagan, Jack Keane and Kimberly Kagan
Kimberly Kagan
Amir Taheri
Frederick W. Kagan, Kimberly Kagan and Jack Keane
James Dubik
Michael Duffy
Michael Gerson
Bret Stephens
Michael R. Gordon
Joby Warrick
Borzou Daragahi and Julian E. Barnes
Julian E. Barnes
Aamer Madhani
Sabrina Tavernise
Richard Perle
Lawrence Kudlow
Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates
Nazar Janabi
Arthur Herman
Brian Bennett
Gordon Lubold
Senior Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs