The Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq

The Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq

A Critique

By Anthony H. Cordesman

Sep 6, 2007

http://csis.org/publication/independent-commission-security-forces-iraq-0

The attached analysis of the report of the Independent Commission on Iraqi Security Forces addresses the strengths and weakness of the report in detail, and places its findings in the broader political and strategic context of the pressures and tensions shaping events in Iraq.

Many key aspects of the report of the Independent Commission on Iraqi Security Forces, and its findings, track closely with my own experience in visiting Iraq, and in meeting independently with US and Iraqi officers, officials and experts. There are few areas where the report raises issues or problems in ISF development that I have not seen independently confirmed by my own visits to Iraq, discussions with Iraqi and US officers working on these issues, and other reports.

I also believe the Commission report is accurate in saying that ISF development can succeed in spite of these problems if the US is patient, willing to put in years of further effort, and realistic in  its  goals and efforts.

At the same time, accurate and useful as many of the Commission's findings are, the report fails to properly link its recommendations and analysis to problems created by the level of civil conflict in Iraq.  It also fails to properly address the importance of political accommodation as a precondition for the success of US effort.

There also are a range of other problems and issues that it does not fully address, and that the Congress and American people must address in deciding on the future of US intervention in Iraq.

Independent Commission on Iraqi Security Forces

James L. Jones Jr. was the chairman for the Independent Commission on Iraqi Security Forces, the national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration, the commander, U.S. European Command for U.S. Department of Defense, a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), and is a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

Note: Henry A. Kissinger is a trustee at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (think tank), a director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), a director at the American Friends of Bilderberg (think tank), and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank).

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations.

Chuck Hagel was the chairman for the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), and is the secretary at the U.S. Department of Defense for the Barack Obama administration.

William J. Perry is an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), the secretary at the U.S. Department of Defense, and a member of the Iraq Study Group.

James A. Baker III is an honorary director at the Atlantic Council of the United States (think tank), and was a co-chair at the Iraq Study Group.

Leon E. Panetta was a member of the Iraq Study Group, and the secretary for the U.S. Department of Defense for the Barack Obama administration.