Policy Memo

TO: Political Leader

FROM:

DATE: December 10, 2011

RE: Recommendation of Policies

Statement of topic

As we know the country situation after the American-Iraq war is getting worse, Government should focus on improving the policies in order to maintain peace within the country. Since ICOF last covered the reconstruction of Iraq on August 4, 2004, Iraqis went to the polls in the country's first contested elections since 1954 and later voted in a referendum to approve a new constitution. Nevertheless, levels of sectarian violence threatened to spiral into civil war and hearings by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Iraq Study Group found grave problems in the reconstruction process. Shortly after Saddam Hussein's execution, U.S. President George W. Bush announced a controversial plan to increase U.S. troop strength in Iraq by more than 20,000.

Overview of issue area

Iraq, an oil-rich nation in the Middle East, has played an important role in U.S. foreign policy since the early 1990s. During the administration of President George H. W. Bush (R, 1989-93) and the current administration of President George W. Bush (R), Iraq was invaded by U.S.-led troops, who had been sent to Iraq to thwart the political and military ambitions of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's longtime leader.

After Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait in August 1990, the United Nations Security Council allowed a U.S.-led coalition to repel Hussein's forces from Kuwait. After the coalition easily ousted Iraqi troops from that country in early 1991, the U.N. imposed economic sanctions on the Iraqi government in order to punish Hussein for his military aggression. Also, U.N. inspectors began conducting regular weapons searches in order to ensure that Hussein's military was dismantling its weapons programs (Hitt, 10).

More recently, Iraq has been the most active battleground in a U.S.-led war on terrorism, a campaign declared by the current Bush administration in the aftermath of a terrorist attack against the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001. In March 2003, the U.S. led a coalition of 35 nations in "Operation Iraqi Freedom," an invasion whose goals included curbing the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and toppling Hussein's government.

Since no evidence of WMDs was found in Iraq, the resulting military effort in that country, entering its third year as of March 2005, has sparked major controversy within Iraq, the U.S. and around the world. While critics of U.S. policy in Iraq contend that the invasion was poorly planned, unnecessary and possibly illegal, supporters say that removing Hussein from power has liberated the Iraqi people and dealt a blow to international terrorism, making the world a safer place.

The invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq has cost many lives, both among troops and civilians. Between March 2003 and May 2005, more than 1,800 coalition members have died, including 1,647 U.S. soldiers, according to a number of news organizations. Harder to ascertain have been precise statistics for Iraqi civilian deaths linked to the invasion. Estimates range from 5,000 to upwards of 100,000, but the most accurate toll is believed to be between 21,000 and ...