Publication

This report, written several months before the 2003 US-led war in Iraq, examines the challenges of maintaining Iraqi stability in the post-war period. The authors address many of the issues that have proven problematic in Iraq, including providing adequate security, transferring power to Iraqis in a legitimate way, and capitalizing on Iraq's oil reserves. The report counsels against disbanding the Iraqi army, instead proposing that only the uppermost leadership be removed. It further cautions against imposing a post-conflict government dominated by exiled Iraqi opposition leaders; offers a number of suggestions for how best to bolster the production of oil; and asserts that US efforts must be accompanied by a vigorous public diplomacy campaign to deflate criticism.