CNAS Marks One Year Anniversary of Iraq Withdrawal with Release of Two New Papers - To mark the one year anniversary of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, the Center for a New American Security has released two papers that offer insights into the U.S. role there since 2003.
In Iraq in Hindsight: Views on the U.S. Withdrawal, Emma Sky offers a pointed critique of U.S. policy over the last decade, arguing that valuable lessons can be learned from the country's "American era" now that U.S. forces have withdrawn. A senior fellow at the Jackson Institute at Yale and a political advisor in Iraq to General Raymond Odierno from 2007 to 2010, Sky examines these lessons learned and urges U.S. policymakers to set realistic goals for future intervention.
In Revitalizing the Partnership: The United States and Iraq A Year After Withdrawal, CNAS Visiting Fellow Melissa Dalton and Senior Fellow Nora Bensahel note that the United States has strategic interests in a strong, unified and sovereign Iraq. The United States and Iraq, they argue, must maintain a solid partnership to resolve critical geopolitical challenges, including maintaining a unified Iraq, increasing Iraqi oil production and mitigating Iranian influence in the region.