Iraq's Forces: The Hole in the U.S. Security Strategy?

Publication Date: March 2005

Publisher: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Author(s): Jeff Miller

Research Area: Military and defense

Type: Brief

Coverage: Iraq

Abstract:

Training Iraq's security forces is the centerpiece of President George W. Bush's strategy in Iraq. To the extent that training records can be uncovered in the muddle of conflicting reports, the chronicle of the past eighteen months raises grave doubts about the strategy's hope of success. Pentagon figures show that not only has there been no progress over the past year, but the gap between the total number of Iraqi security forces and the total required is now almost twice the size of the gap reported fourteen months ago.