June 7, 2011
Development [Journal]

Abstract:

Valentine M. Moghadam looks at feminist insights into violence, conflict, peacebuilding, and women’s rights, as well as developments in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine, to make the case for the involvement of women and the integration of gender into all phases of conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction and governance.

May 20, 2011
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

Abstract:

Popularised as a result of the so-called surge in Iraq, the concept of counterinsurgency has since experienced a marked decline, mostly due to the difficulties of implementing its core principles in Afghanistan. Across the United States and Europe, counterinsurgency now seems to be on its way out, as a concept to be studied and as a priority to inform policy. This article examines the value of retaining counterinsurgency as a concept, along with its associated principles and theory. Much depends on what is expected from this term, which lacks both definition and clear substance. Counterinsurgency provides neither a strategy for military intervention nor a campaign plan for deployed soldiers and will fail if mistaken for more than what it is. Counterinsurgency does offer a collection of insights, which, if used in a manner sensitive to local context, can help in the design and execution of expeditionary campaigns. These insights are often largely commonsensical but have nonetheless played an important role in challenging previously dominant misconceptions about the nature of war and peace, both in Europe and the United States....

March 7, 2011
Prism // Center for Complex Operations (National Defense University)

Abstract:

Successful stabilization depends on the new regime developing a political network that distributes power and patronage throughout the nation, whether the power network manifests in democratic form, feudal form, or colonial form. In a decentralized regime, local leaders throughout the nation can compete for a share of power even if they are not affiliated with the faction that controls national power at the center. Thus, a decentralized system can create a broad class of local leaders in all communities who have a positive expected stake in defending the new political system. Yet the leading collaborators of a stabilization operation may endorse a system of narrow political centralization. Paradoxically, for the sake of expediency and convenience, such centralization may initially be welcomed by foreign interveners, although it may itself be destabilizing. Planning for a successful state-building stability mission requires a more expansive perspective and an understanding of the stability impact of the constitutional distribution of power....

March 7, 2011
Prism // Center for Complex Operations (National Defense University)

Abstract:

Expeditionary Economics doctrine holds that economic growth is a critical component of long-term stability, each enabling the other: development is impossible without stability and stability is unsustainable without economic growth. Moreover, the most effective path to growth in areas in conflict is to focus on forming firms that can generate rapid revenue growth and employment opportunities. While the Commander's Emergency Response Program (CERP) has advanced security and stability, its use as a tool of economic development has been criticized. Still, the U.S. military uses "money as a weapon system" and likely will continue to do so in future engagements. Based on 8 years of quantitative and anecdotal data, there are lessons to be learned on improving CERP. The authors examine the origins of CERP, as well as its successes and shortcomings as a tool for economic stabilization and security. Recommendations include engaging more effectively with local business and government leaders, improving collaboration with other coalition actors, increasing transparency, and placing emphasis on economic outcomes rather than process. Furthermore, while being cognizant of the security function of the program, CERP should support local entrepreneurs....

March 7, 2011
Prism // Center for Complex Operations (National Defense University)

Abstract:

Since the dawn of aviation, airpower has played an important role in counterinsurgency operations. This has been especially true as the security situations in Iraq and Afghanistan have deteriorated. While ground forces learned to reapply old lessons to a new environment, air support was reshaped to provide an asymmetric advantage. The capabilities that were developed have become indispensible for conducting a modern counterinsurgency effort. The proliferation of antiaccess and area denial capabilities along with long-range precision weaponry will result in greater challenges for all military operations, even COIN. Airpower will continue to provide critical support and must integrate lessons from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq....

June 6, 2011
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Abstract:

The anticipated U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq by year's end will constitute a major test for the Iraqi Security Forces. Beyond the immediate operational challenges of maintaining internal security, combating terrorism, and securing the borders against smuggling and foreign incursions, the ISF will face numerous long-term institutional challenges related to training, equipment, civil-military relations, corruption, and politicization.

To discuss these issues and their potential impact on Iraq's stability, The Washington Institute invited Michael Knights, Lachlyn Soper, Maj. Andrew Lembke, and Barak Salmoni to address a special Policy Forum on June 3, 2011.

Due to technical error, Mr. Salmoni's remarks, along with the audience Q&A; session, was not recorded.

Michael Knights is a Lafer fellow with The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, and the Gulf Arab states. Author of the Institute Policy Note 'The Iraqi Security Forces: Local Context and U.S. Assistance', he earned his doctorate at the Department of War Studies, King's College London, with a dissertation on U.S. no-fly zones and air operations against Iraq.

Lachlyn Soper is a social scientist for the U.S. Army Human Terrain System at Fort Leavenworth. Between November 2009 and December 2010, she was embedded at U.S. Division-Center in Baghdad, where she produced detailed assessments of the Sons of Iraq militias and the ISF. Previously, she worked for a human rights organization in Cairo and served with the UN Relief and Works Agency in Damascus and the West Bank. Ms. Soper holds a master's degree in public administration from Princeton University.

Maj. Andrew Lembke is an infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He has completed four overseas combat tours since 2001, including three in Iraq, where he served as a military transition team leader with an Iraqi Army brigade, a Stryker company commander (twice), and a staff officer with U.S. Division-Center in Baghdad. A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, he currently serves as an instructor at the Army's Counterinsurgency Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Barak Salmoni, a former visiting defense fellow at The Washington Institute, serves as a culture and foreign language advisor with the U.S. Army. Author of the just-published Institute Policy Focus 'Responsible Partnership: The Iraqi National Security Sector after 2011', he previously worked at the RAND Corporation. In addition, he founded the U.S. Marine Corps Center for Advanced Operational Culture Learning and worked with American forces in Iraq on five occasions from 2004 to 2008.

...

April 28, 2009
World Politics Review // National Public Radio

Abstract:

Violence is down in most of Iraq. Yet, it still plagues areas north of Baghdad where the Kurdish and Arab populations intersect. And U.S. commanders are considering a troop increase there. The town of Jalawla is an increasingly tense region along Iraq's ethnic fault line. NPR reports.

April 17, 2009
Center for American Progress

Abstract:

“More money has been appropriated for reconstruction in Iraq than for Germany and Japan combined between 1946 and 1952, with inflation adjusted,” said Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and advisor to Middle East Progress, at a CAP event on Monday entitled, “Preventing Waste and Fraud in Afghanistan and Pakistan Spending.” Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction and author of the book Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience, and Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction Major General Arnold Fields (Ret.) joined Katulis for the discussion....

March 25, 2009
Refugees International

Abstract:

1 in 5 Iraqis have been uprooted by violence in their homeland. Many have fled to Syria, and this video details the increasingly desperate situation there. Addressing the needs of displaced Iraqis will help to ensure a stable Iraq.

March 4, 2009
Center for American Progress

Abstract:

Lawrence J. Korb responds to President Obama's Iraq plan, whether it is likely to spur political action in Iraq, and whether the U.S. will be ready to leave in August 2010.

November 20, 2008
Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform // International Development Department, School of Public Policy, University of Birmingham

Abstract:

Security Sector Reform (SSR) in the Arab Middle East remains a highly sensitive and politicised subject in a region prone to internal and external influences on its security sectors. These influences have a direct impact on global security, making it a pertinent topic for those following developments in the region. This topic guide aims to present an introduction to literature written on SSR in the region in general. It then presents an overview of the latest and most relevant SSR issues in three countries in the region which are all undergoing phases of SSR within their unique contexts: Iraq – post-war security sector rebuilding in a state with highly volatile armed actors; Lebanon – security sector reform within a delicate civil and political environment and a major armed actor; and Occupied Palestinian Territories – security sector reform within a delicate civil and political environment. Whilst not exhaustive, this guide hopes to cover most of the literature available on SSR in these countries. It must be noted that as of yet literature on the region and countries within it remains limited, but is increasing. Consequently, this guide will be regularly updated....

April 28, 2008
American Political Science Association

Abstract:

American Political Science Association: Teaching about Terrorism after 9/11 and Iraq - Books and Articles.

December 13, 2006


Abstract:

Bibliography on gender, justice and the wars in Iraq.

October 31, 2006


Abstract:

This bibliography contains a list of articles published in response to the article "Mortality after the 2003 invasion of Iraq: a cross-sectional sample survey," published on 12 October in the Lancet. Based on a population-based survey conducted at some risk by a team of Iraqi and American public health researchers, the article reports that approximately 600,000 people have died violently above the normal mortality rate. Including non-violent deaths that are linked to the war, the total is estimated to be more than 650,000....

March 15, 2006


Abstract:

Links to full-text online articles and reports about the Iraqi insurgency.

July 26, 2011
Combating Terrorism Center // West Point

Abstract:

The Combating Terrorism Center is an independent educational and research institution based in the Department of social sciences at the United states Military Academy, West point. The CTC sentinel harnesses the Center’s global network of scholars and practitioners to understand and confront contemporary threats posed by terrorism and other forms of political violence.

March 7, 2011
Forced Migration Review // University of Oxford // Refugee Studies Centre

Abstract:

Militia, freedom fighters, rebels, terrorists, paramilitaries, revolutionaries, guerrillas, gangs, quasi-state bodies... and many other labels. In this issue of FMR we look at all of these, at actors defined as being armed and being ‘non-state’ – that is to say, without the full responsibilities and obligations of the state. Some of these actors have ideological or political aims; some aspire to hold territory and overthrow a government; some could be called organised groups, and for others that would stretch the reality. Their objectives vary but all are in armed conflict with the state and/or with each other. Such actors, deliberately or otherwise, regularly cause the displacement of people.

This issue of FMR focuses more on the consequences of their violence and its effects on people, and suggests ways in which these might be mitigated. The articles included here reflect the views of civil society groups and individuals in regular contact with non-state armed groups, of academics and governments, and of organisations that have years of experience in engaging – creatively and productively – with non-state armed groups.

This issue also includes a range of articles discussing subjects as varied as the labelling of migrants, solar energy in camps, gang persecution, and scoring states’ performance in respect of the rights of refugees....

January 4, 2011
International Crisis Group

Abstract:

Five actual or potential conflict situations around the world deteriorated and two improved in December 2010, according to the latest issue of the International Crisis Group’s monthly bulletin CrisisWatch released today. Côte d’Ivoire was gripped by political crisis as incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power after losing to rival Alassane Outtara in the late-November presidential runoff polls. Post-election violence claimed thTensions remained high on the Korean peninsula just one month after North Korea shelled Yŏnp’yŏng Island in South Korea. Pyongyang threatened “brutal consequences beyond imagination” against the South as Seoul held live-fire artillery drills on the island. Russia and China called for a calming of tensions on the peninsula, but South Korea refused to cancel the drills amid domestic pressure to stand firm against the North. Nigeria was hit by several deadly bomb attacks and ongoing Islamist militant violence over the month. At least 80 people were killed in coordinated explosions in the central city of Jos on 24 December. e lives of at least 170 people and more than 15,000 fled to neighbouring countries. In Pakistan, the Taliban launched a wave of suicide attacks during the month that left scores dead. Many of those killed were locals supporting efforts against the militants. The situation in Guinea improved as former Prime Minister Cellou Diallo conceded defeat in the November presidential runoff and Alpha Condé was sworn in as the country’s first democratically elected president. Following a tense election period and concerted international efforts to avert renewed conflict, world leaders commended Guinea for a “historic achievement”. Iraq ’s parliament unanimously approved a new 42-member government under incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on 21 December. The move ends nine months of political deadlock and protracted negotiations over government formation following parliamentary elections in March. CrisisWatch also notes a marked deterioration in Mexico’s drug-related violence over the course of the past year, despite the killing of several high-profile cartel leaders...

December 6, 2010
Combating Terrorism Center // West Point

Abstract:

This issue includes the following articles:
- Reevaluating Al-Qa`ida’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Capabilities
- The Evolving Terrorist Threat in Yemen
- The U.S.-Pakistan Relationship and Finding an End State in Afghanistan
- Piracy in the Horn of Africa: A Growing Maritime Security Threat
- Al-Qa`ida’s Key Operative: A Profile of Mohammed Ilyas Kashmiri
- The Role and Significance of Signature Attacks in the Iraqi Insurgency

December 6, 2010
Combating Terrorism Center // West Point

Abstract:

This issue includes the following articles:
- The Strengths and Weaknesses of Jihadist Ideology
- The Role of Lashkar-i-Islam in Pakistan’s Khyber Agency
- The Torkham Border Closure and Attacks on NATO Supply Convoys in Pakistan
- Mitigating the Further Radicalization of India’s Muslim Community
- From Iraq to Yemen: Al-Qa`ida’s Shifting Strategies
- From Iraq to Yemen: Al-Qa`ida’s Shifting Strategies

May 20, 2011
Council on Foreign Relations

Abstract:

This is the text of US President Barack Obama's speech about affairs in the Middle East and North Africa given in May 2011.

April 13, 2011
Brookings Institute

Abstract:

Leaving aside all the new conflicts in the Middle East, how are our nation's longstanding struggles in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan going? This factsheet lists U.S. troop numbers, U.S. troop deaths, security force numbers, security force deaths, civilian deaths from war, number of attacks, cost, and other factors for conflicts in Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan for the first quarters of 2009, 2010, and 2011.

October 5, 2010
Integrated Regional Information Networks // UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Abstract:

The refugee and displacement problem is one of the most complex humanitarian issues facing the Middle East, aid workers say. Elizabeth Campbell, senior advocate at US NGO Refugees International, believes it is likely the Middle East hosts the highest number of refugees and asylum-seekers in the world. She underlined the need to find lasting solutions: "Any time that people remain uprooted and have not been afforded basic rights or pathways to durable solutions, it is a humanitarian crisis." IRIN takes a look at the number of refugees, asylum-seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region, and the main issues they face....

September 2, 2010
Council on Foreign Relations

Abstract:

With the pullout of U.S. combat units completed, many Iraqis, even those who deplored the presence of foreign troops, are "fearful about what happens" if the U.S. withdraws completely next year as planned, says Jane Arraf, a long-time Baghdad correspondent who served as an Edward R. Murrow Press Fellow at CFR. Beyond concerns about whether Iraq will be able to defend itself when all U.S. troops have gone, there's also anxiety about the unsettled political situation. Arraf says Iraqis seem to be unable to forge a compromise between Ayad Allawi, the former prime minister, whose bloc had the most seats in last March's elections, and the current Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "We keep thinking that perhaps there's a lot going on beneath the surface, but apparently there isn't. It is what it is. It's stalled. There's talk about what to do, but nothing's been established yet."...

April 21, 2010
Ethical Cargo // Stockholm International Peace Research Institute

Abstract:

Air transportation has played a key role in fuelling the war economies and conflicts that have affected parts of Asia and the Middle East in recent decades. They are also important facilitators of narcotics flows such as opiates and untaxed tobacco destined for European, Asian and Middle Eastern markets. At the same time, those air cargo carriers transporting these commodity flows that have been so destabilizing are also involved in humanitarian aid and peacekeeping missions.

March 24, 2011
Slate Magazine

Abstract:

An animated map of recent protests in the Middle East as they spread from country to country, updated with the most recent events. Particular outcomes indicated with descriptions of the progression of events for each nation.

April 2, 2008
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Abstract:

Iraq: Humanitarian Profile - March 2008

March 8, 2007
ReliefWeb // Humanitarian Information Centre for Iraq

Abstract:

This map provides a break down of tribal patterns in Iraq.

January 26, 2006
University of Texas Libraries

Abstract:

Map shows distribution of ethnoreligious groups and major tribes in Iraq in 2003.

November 12, 2004
Le Monde Diplomatique

Abstract:

The area populated by Kurds extends mainly over four countries: Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. In summer 1996, Kurdish guerrillas controlled most of northern Iraq

January 4, 2011
Foreign Policy Magazine // International Crisis Group

Abstract:

Across the globe today, you'll find almost three dozen raging conflicts, from the valleys of Afghanistan to the jungles of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the streets of Kashmir. But what are the next crises that might erupt in 2011? Here are a few worrisome spots that make our list. [Captions provided by International Crisis Group]

July 26, 2010
United States Institute of Peace

Abstract:

Baghdad this month, and likely for several more, is engaged in the political equivalent of Sumo wrestling. After appeals and recounts, the now-certified results of the March elections show the “Iraqiya” slate got 91 seats in parliament; “State of Law” got 89. Each of their heavyweights, former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and current Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki respectively, claims the right to form a government and act as prime minister. The parliament has 325 seats; 163 constitute a majority. In his visit over the July 4 weekend, Vice President Biden tried to referee the match, with the objective of getting the two to stop wrestling and join together to form the new government, a formula Washington prefers. Allawi bases his claim to the prime ministry on the election results, which include his narrow lead in parliamentary seats and a massive vote for change, as 80 percent of the previous parliamentarians lost their seats. Why shouldn’t Iraq learn that alternation in power is part of the democratic game? How can Iraq be a democracy if the same prime minister is installed, with more or less the same majority coalition, despite such a dramatic vote for change? Why should voters bother to go to the polls in the future if their votes don’t have an impact? How can Iraq remain a democracy if Maliki continues to strengthen his hold on the security forces and other levers of power? Meanwhile, Maliki bases his claim on his post-electoral agreement with the Iraqi National Alliance (INA), which gained 70 seats, making his the largest bloc in parliament with 159 seats, just four short of the numerical majority. Maliki also points to his more than 600,000 votes won in Baghdad, making him the largest single vote-getter in the country. With all the problems Iraq faces, why cause further delay by allowing a group like Iraqiya form a government with only 91 seats in parliament? If the Americans want to get out of Iraq on their set timetable and leave it in relatively stable condition, isn’t it best to keep Maliki in place? Who better to face down the Iranians than a Shia prime minister who is not in their pocket?...

March 9, 2010
International Relations and Security Network

Abstract:

New data from centrist Democratic pollsters shows President Barack Obama and the party losing ground on national security with key voters, and they urge him to toughen up his rhetoric on terrorism, but it’s a prescription that ignores an important point the president has been trying to make. The poll, conducted by veteran Democratic political consultants Stan Greenberg and Jeremy Rosner, found that President Obama had strong personal approval ratings among voters in most areas of national security - higher indeed than his approval rating overall, which was 47 percent approving and 48 percent disapproving. Conducted in late February, the poll surveyed 851 adults who voted in 2008 and said they were likely to do so again in 2010. More than half of the likely voters approved of the president’s handling of Afghanistan (58 percent to 37 percent disapproving); national security (57 percent to 40); “leading America’s military” (57 percent to 38); fighting terrorism (54 percent to 41); and Iraq (54 percent to 40). These numbers, though still strong, are down from the 60 percent plus territory they were in when the pollsters ran their survey in May last year. Nonetheless, the president’s approval ratings are currently in negative territory on only two national security issues: Iran (42 percent approving to 49 percent disapproving) and the “prosecution and interrogation of terrorism suspects.”...

March 8, 2010
Al Jazeera

Abstract:

In the run-up to today's historically significant parliamentary polls in Iraq, a volume of commentary has been offered on the complex internal dynamics in play and their critical import for the future direction of the country. But a question that begs asking is where do Iraq's neighbours stand on these critical elections. Given the volatile reality of the Middle East and its tortuous geopolitics, states in the region have an intimate interest and much at stake in how their neighbours are run. With much at risk for the stability of Iraq and its concomitant effects on bordering states, today's elections will be watched with great anxiety in capitals across the Middle East. Tehran, in particular, will be following electoral developments over its western border in Iraq. Iranian foreign policy vis-à-vis Iraq is not necessarily ideological in its underpinnings. It is misleading to analyse Iran-Iraq relations through the prism of a Shia alliance....

February 22, 2010
openDemocracy

Abstract:

With parliamentary elections upcoming in Iraq, the banning of individuals with suspected links to the Ba’ath Party has raised fears that Shi’ite figures in the establishment are out to purge Sunnis from politics. With parliamentary elections upcoming in Iraq, the banning of those with suspected links to the Ba'ath Party raises fears that Shi'ite establishment figures are out to purge Sunnis from politics On 13 February 2010, Iraq’s secular Iraqiya list – a secular political coalition consisting of Sunni and Shi’ite politicians – announced that it had temporarily suspended its campaign to participate in the 7 March 2010 parliamentary elections. The move comes in direct response to a decision by Iraq’s Accountability and Justice Committee to ban approximately 72 of Iraqiya‘s members from the parliamentary elections, along with other politicians with suspected links to the Ba’ath Party of former President Saddam Hussein. The ban, which blacklists close to 500 parliamentary candidates, risks stoking sectarian tensions in Iraq as the majority of barred politicians are from Iraq’s Sunni minority. Although 28 names on the original blacklist have been cleared by an appeals panel, political tensions remain high in Baghdad. The banning of such prominent Sunni figures as Saleh al-Mutlaq and Dhafir al-Ani – both sitting MPs – has proven to be particularly controversial given their level of public support. Al-Mutlaq, who was expected to perform well in the elections, is regarded as the second most powerful individual in the Iraqiya list following Ayad Allawi - a former prime minister and one-time ally of the Bush administration. Dhafir al-Ani is regarded as the third most influential candidate in the Iraqiya list....

August 3, 2007


Abstract:

The NGO Coordination Committee in Iraq - NCCI - is an independent initiative launched by a group of NGOs who were present in Baghdad in April 2003. At the time of its inception, the 14 members of NCCI intended to establish the basis of a neutral aid coordination highlighting the priorities for intervention and optimising the responses to the needs of the Iraqi population. Almost 4 years later, NCCI has pursued its initial objectives and has developed into a wide forum where NGOs can exchange information regarding humanitarian activities and policy decisions in Iraq. NCCI role in Emergency coordination requires NCCI to ensure that basic needs relating to crisis situations are met. In 2007, NCCI is a network of about 80 International NGOs and 200 Iraqi NGOs. Within a volatile context, facing severe constraints and working on a very low profile, NGOs are amongst the only reliable actors able to deliver aid to the most vulnerable Iraqis on the field on a daily basis. ...

February 26, 2007


Abstract:

To ensure swift, flexible, and coordinated donor financing for priority investments in Iraq, the World Bank and the United Nations have created the International Reconstruction Fund Facility for Iraq. The Facility helps donors channel their resources to the Iraq reconstruction effort.

January 18, 2007


Abstract:

Ockenden International works with some of the most vulnerable communities in the world. It works to provide opportunities to rebuild lives torn apart by conflict or natural disaster, helping restore self-reliance to displaced people.

December 19, 2006


Abstract:

WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean consists of four technical divisions headed by directors reporting to Deputy Regional Director/Regional Director. They are: Health Protection and Promotion (DHP), Health Systems and Services Development (DHS), Communicable Disease Control (DCD), General Management (DAF). There are two departments in the office of the Assistant Regional Director and they report directly to the Assistant Regional Director. The two departments are Knowledge Management & Sharing and Policy & Strategy Support. Five priority programmes are supervised by the Regional Directory/Deputy Regional Director while reporting through their respective divisional directors. The priority programmes are the Tobacco Free Initiative, Roll Back Malaria, Stop TB, Community-based Initiatives, Women in Health and Development. Further, the regional office runs a special programmes on Polio Eradication, which reports directly to the Regional Director. Another is the UNAIDS Inter-Country Programme. It gives support to the development of an expanded response to HIV/AIDS through the coordinated action of the UN theme groups on HIV/AIDS as well as the process of national strategic planning; collaborates with EMRO in the joint response to HIV/AIDS at the regional and country level; strengthens partnerships with UNAIDS cosponsers through joint regional initiatives in HIV/AIDS priority areas. ...

November 24, 2006


Abstract:

The IOM-Iraq Mission was set up in April 2003 in response to the overwhelming humanitarian need following the collapse of the former regime.

March 9, 2007
United Nations // United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq

Abstract:

United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) was created in 2004 to assist in the social, economic and political reconstruction of Iraq, following the Gulf War. Its website provides a portal of information about all UN agencies operating in the region. It provides information about their mandate, structure and activities. The site includes recent press releases, situation reports, UN resolutions relating to Iraq and full-text UNAMI documents. Topics covered included human rights in Iraq, elections, humanitatian aid reports and R&D; research reports. ...

November 28, 2006
Iraq Update Ltd.

Abstract:

Iraq Updates (IU) is an on-line news service, specialising in providing extensive current coverage of the political, financial and commercial situation in Iraq. IU pulls together top stories on Iraq from around the world into a single accessible package. Articles are collated from major sources inside and outside the country, including coverage of the local press. In addition to its extensive news coverage IU also serves as a portal, offering links to related websites. The links have been carefully researched and offer a diverse and comprehensive view of Iraq, both commercially and politically....

November 22, 2006
University of London // Royal Holloway College // Department of Economics

Abstract:

These pages give assorted material directly relevant to the study of Iraq mortality published recently in The Lancet. The material also applies to conflict surveys more generally.

August 28, 2006
Global Policy Forum

Abstract:

US-led occupation forces have committed numerous atrocities in Iraq since the invasion of 2003. Haditha, Hamandiya, Sadr City, Samarra and Ishaqi have become synonymous with murder, rape and the multiple killing of civilians. While some cases have been brought before military hearings, the Pentagon has covered up most of these cases and exonerated the soldiers involved . Rather than pursuing high officials and senior officers, military prosecutors have pursued only a few low- ranking soldiers . With few exceptions, most cases have yielded relatively light punishments, while the majority has seen original charges of murder downgraded to lighter charges or even dismissed completely. The United States has repeatedly insisted that these attrocities were committed by "few bad apples," obscuring the fact that troops are regularly committing such crimes under a system of unrestrained violence attributable to those at the top. Under the doctrine of "command responsibility," applied by the US in the post-World War II war crimes trials, high officials and senior officers must as#sume responsibility for grave violations of international law, even if they did not give direct orders for such violations to take place. A truly independent investigation should investigate the killings and cover-ups, to end this climate of impunity....

June 22, 2006
Government of the United States // Library of Congress // Law Library of Congress

Abstract:

This website is intended to provide the viewer with essential information related to the relevant trials. It will also set out a selection of reference materials that will further explain important aspects of the trials. In making this selection, the Law Library of Congress does not endorse or attest to the authenticity of any such referenced materials or information. In addition to viewers in general, the following of the development of the trial of Saddam Hussein, which started in October 2005, may be of special interest to legal scholars of international criminal law and the seekers of universal justice....

January 28, 2011
The Iraq Inquiry

Abstract:

The Prime Minister announced on 15 June 2009 that an Inquiry would be conducted to identify lessons that can be learned from the Iraq conflict. The Iraq Inquiry was officially launched on 30 July 2009. At the launch the Chair of the Inquiry, Sir John Chilcot, set out the Inquiry's Terms of Reference:

"Our terms of reference are very broad, but the essential points, as set out by the Prime Minister and agreed by the House of Commons, are that this is an Inquiry by a committee of Privy Counsellors. It will consider the period from the summer of 2001 to the end of July 2009, embracing the run-up to the conflict in Iraq, the military action and its aftermath. We will therefore be considering the UK's involvement in Iraq, including the way decisions were made and actions taken, to establish, as accurately as possible, what happened and to identify the lessons that can be learned. Those lessons will help ensure that, if we face similar situations in future, the government of the day is best equipped to respond to those situations in the most effective manner in the best interests of the country."

The Inquiry committee members are Sir John Chilcot (Chairman), Sir Lawrence Freedman, Sir Martin Gilbert, Sir Roderic Lyne and Baroness Usha Prashar.

The Inquiry will take evidence over a number of months, with as many hearings as possible held in public. The first round of hearings began in autumn 2009 and continued into early 2010. After a break for the general election, the Inquiry resumed its public hearings in June for a period of five weeks. The Inquiry intends to deliver its report around the turn of the year. The Inquiry committee intends to include in the report all but the most sensitive information essential to our national security. The report will then be debated in Parliament....

May 5, 2009
International Organization for Migration

Abstract:

This is an interactive resource that uses International Organization for Migration data to illustrate the displacement situation in Iraq since 2006.

February 20, 2009
Refugees International

Abstract:

As President Obama works to stabilize Iraq, he must be sure to comprehensively address the Iraqi refugee crisis. Five million Iraqis have been uprooted by conflict, forced to leave everything behind. They have sought refuge within Iraq, Syria, Jordan and other neighboring countries. They are running out of resources with little opportunity for employment; access to food, heath care, education and other essential services is extremely limited. The conditions for Iraqis to return home safely do not exist, and millions of Iraqi refugees are unlikely and unwilling to return to Iraq in the foreseeable future. The U.S. administration must lead international efforts to meet the long-term needs of displaced Iraqis. Failure to assist Iraqis will have dramatic impacts on security inside Iraq. Refugees International has launched a new campaign urging President Obama to do more to help Iraqi refugees....

February 21, 2008
Small World News Ltd Co

Abstract:

Alive in Baghdad is a a project of Small World News Ltd. Co. which employs local Iraqi journalists to create weekly news reports and video films showing daily life in Baghdad, Iraq. Its website provides free access to the video archive of films from approximately 2005 onwards, plus a blog of comments and diary entries from Iraqi residents and journalists. These offer an Iraqi insight into economic, social and human rights conditions in Baghdad in the aftermath of the fall of Saddam Hussein. Technical and copyright information is displayed on the website....

January 22, 2008
MedAct

Abstract:

This report describes how the war and its aftermath continue to have a disastrous impact on the physical and mental health of the Iraqi people, and the urgent measures needed to improve health and health services. It focuses on the many failures of the occupying forces and their governments to protect health, or to facilitate the rebuilding of a health system based on primary health care principles. It assesses the current state of the health system, including the impact of insecurity, and the workforce, supplies, medicines and equipment it lacks. It also looks at health information and health policy. There is a special focus on mental health care, a particularly neglected area. The report ends with conclusions and recommendations, exploring what needs to happen now in Iraq and what lessons can be learned....

August 9, 2011
Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights // United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq Human Rights Office

Abstract:

This report is published by the Human Rights Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq -UNAMI- in cooperation with the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights -OHCHR- under their respective mandates. Information for this report has been gathered from direct monitoring by UNAMI as well as from a variety of other sources, including Government, UN Agencies, civil society, NGOs and media. It covers the period from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010. The draft of this Report was submitted to the Government of Iraq and the Government of the Kurdistan Region prior to publication and their views are referred to in the text or footnoted where appropriate....

August 8, 2011
Save the Children

Abstract:

Conflict continues to pose one of the biggest threats to the survival, development and well being of a significant number of children across the world. In the past decade, 2 million children have died directly as a result of conflict and 6 million have been permanently disabled or seriously injured. Explosive weapons were responsible for the death and injury of thousands of children in a number of conflicts in 2009, including Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, the final stage of the war in northern Sri Lanka, and the intensification of conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. In these latter four countries, as well as in the occupied Palestinian territory and Iraq, the use of explosive weapons continued through 2010. Children were often the victims in these conflicts, with too little attention paid to minimising the risk to them or to ensuring that their fundamental human rights, such as the right to life,were not violated.

As well as governments’ use of explosive weapons in populated areas, recent decades have seen a rising number of non state actors using more sophisticated explosive weapons. For instance, information leaked from Afghanistan indicates that the Taliban has used shoulder launched surface to air missiles, which are more technologically advanced than the rocket propelled grenades they frequently use. Improvised explosive devices have also become more sophisticated and more deadly over the past two decades.

Section 1 of this report describes the impact of explosive weapons on children and their communities. Section 2 outlines the international human rights and legal framework that could and should be implemented to protect children. In Section 3, Save the Children proposes three steps towards minimising the impact of explosive weapons on children and makes recommendations to the international community, governments and non-governmental organisations....

August 8, 2011
IKV Pax Christi

Abstract:

IKV Pax Christi strives to enhance the protection of civilians in conflict. In the report, IKV Pax Christi expresses her concern about the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.

From relatively simple improvised explosive devices to advanced aircraft-delivered bombs and missiles, all explosive weapons share certain characteristics that make their use in populated areas especially dangerous for civilian populations. By projecting a blast wave and shrapnel, explosive weapons indiscriminately damage the area around the point of detonation, making no distinction between soldiers or civilians. Furthermore, explosive weapons can also destroy critical infrastructure and frequently pose a long-term risk to populations in the form of unexploded ordnance. For these and other reasons, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas urgently needs to be addressed.

The report provides an overview of recent debates on the use of these weapons, existing agreements in International Humanitarian Law, and the consequences of the use of these weapons for civilians when used in populated areas....

August 4, 2011
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract:

The war in Iraq remains a critical aspect of US national security, and involves more vital US strategic interests than the conflict in Afghanistan. Estimates by the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy indicate that the US and global economy will not reduces their strategic dependence on the Gulf petroleum exports through 2035, and Iraq’s future alignments with the US will be critical to determining our ability to contain Iran and ensure the security of our Arab allies and Israel.

It is also clear that Iraq still has an uncertain capability to deal with its extremist and terrorist threats, deter any foreign threats and pressure, and limit the risk of new outbreaks of ethnic and sectarian violence without US aid. The fact that Iraq’s leadership has agreed to ask some US forces to stay is only one indication of the issues involved, and the problems that have been highlighted by other research centers like RAND and the ICG. Iraq still has broad needs for US aid and assistance, and it will be years before rises in its petroleum revenues will allow it to fully fund its internal security and development, and create military forces strong enough to ensure its security against neighbors like Iran. The Burke Chair has developed a new series of summary briefings on on Iraq that highlight recent developments in the war, as well as trends in Iraq’s security, its politics and governance, its economy, and its security forces.

The three briefings in this series also provide an overview of developments in the Iraqi energy sector and the current capabilities and size of Iraqi security forces (ISF), and their dependence on aid. They summarize the cost of the war to date to the US, the patterns in the withdrawal of US forces, and current plans for the US military withdrawal from Iraq. They also provide a summary of plans for a US State Department-led effort to create a strategic partnership with Iraq under the Strategic Framework Agreement.

The briefs include the following documents:

Iraq in Transition: Security, Iraqi Forces, and US Security Aid Plans . This brief highlights the timelines and history that have shaped Iraq since the US invasion in 2003. It also highlights the fact that violence in Iraq remains a major problem, and that there are still serious limits to the capabilities of Iraq’s security forces and there is a need for continued US security assistance.

Iraq in Transition: Governance, Politics, Economics, and PetroleumIraq in Transition: Governance, Politics, Economics, and Petroleum. This brief warns that Iraq still lacks effective governance, its politics remain highly unstable and threaten the success of a truly democratic government, and that its economy will need years of development to rescue the bulk of its people from poverty and fund a stable path towards development.

Iraq in Transition: US Transition Plans and Aid. This brief summarizes current US transition plans, the history of international and US aid flows, and the problems and successes in the US aid effort. It warns of the future difficulties the US will face in making aid effective, particularly as it shifts to a much lower profile of aid in governance and economics with minimal funding....

August 4, 2011
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract:

The war in Iraq remains a critical aspect of US national security, and involves more vital US strategic interests than the conflict in Afghanistan. Estimates by the Energy Information Agency of the Department of Energy indicate that the US and global economy will not reduces their strategic dependence on the Gulf petroleum exports through 2035, and Iraq’s future alignments with the US will be critical to determining our ability to contain Iran and ensure the security of our Arab allies and Israel.

It is also clear that Iraq still has an uncertain capability to deal with its extremist and terrorist threats, deter any foreign threats and pressure, and limit the risk of new outbreaks of ethnic and sectarian violence without US aid. The fact that Iraq’s leadership has agreed to ask some US forces to stay is only one indication of the issues involved, and the problems that have been highlighted by other research centers like RAND and the ICG. Iraq still has broad needs for US aid and assistance, and it will be years before rises in its petroleum revenues will allow it to fully fund its internal security and development, and create military forces strong enough to ensure its security against neighbors like Iran. The Burke Chair has developed a new series of summary briefings on on Iraq that highlight recent developments in the war, as well as trends in Iraq’s security, its politics and governance, its economy, and its security forces.

The three briefings in this series also provide an overview of developments in the Iraqi energy sector and the current capabilities and size of Iraqi security forces (ISF), and their dependence on aid. They summarize the cost of the war to date to the US, the patterns in the withdrawal of US forces, and current plans for the US military withdrawal from Iraq. They also provide a summary of plans for a US State Department-led effort to create a strategic partnership with Iraq under the Strategic Framework Agreement.

The briefs include the following documents:

Iraq in Transition: Security, Iraqi Forces, and US Security Aid Plans . This brief highlights the timelines and history that have shaped Iraq since the US invasion in 2003. It also highlights the fact that violence in Iraq remains a major problem, and that there are still serious limits to the capabilities of Iraq’s security forces and there is a need for continued US security assistance.

Iraq in Transition: Governance, Politics, Economics, and Petroleum. This brief warns that Iraq still lacks effective governance, its politics remain highly unstable and threaten the success of a truly democratic government, and that its economy will need years of development to rescue the bulk of its people from poverty and fund a stable path towards development.

Iraq in Transition: US Transition Plans and Aid. This brief summarizes current US transition plans, the history of international and US aid flows, and the problems and successes in the US aid effort. It warns of the future difficulties the US will face in making aid effective, particularly as it shifts to a much lower profile of aid in governance and economics with minimal funding....

July 22, 2011
Brookings Institution // Saban Center for Middle East Policy

Abstract:

The Iraq Index is a statistical compilation of economic, public opinion, and security data. This resource will provide updated information on various criteria, including crime, telephone and water service, troop fatalities, unemployment, Iraqi security forces, oil production, and coalition troop strength.

The index is designed to quantify the rebuilding efforts and offer an objective set of criteria for benchmarking performance. It is the first in-depth, non-partisan assessment of American efforts in Iraq, and is based primarily on U.S. government information. Although measurements of progress in any nation-building effort can never be reduced to purely quantitative data, a comprehensive compilation of such information can provide a clearer picture and contribute to a healthier and better informed debate.

Michael O'Hanlon spearheads the Iraq Index project at Brookings, with assistance from Senior Research Assistant Ian S. Livingston. O'Hanlon is a Foreign Policy Studies senior fellow and served on a U.S. government delegation to Iraq to review post-war progress....

November 15, 2010
The Brookings Institution

Abstract:

The Iraq Index is a statistical compilation of economic, public opinion, and security data, updated every two weeks. This resource will provide updated information on various criteria, including crime, telephone and water service, troop fatalities, unemployment, Iraqi security forces, oil production, and coalition troop strength. The index is designed to quantify the rebuilding efforts and offer an objective set of criteria for benchmarking performance. It is the first in-depth, non-partisan assessment of American efforts in Iraq, and is based primarily on U.S. government information. Although measurements of progress in any nation-building effort can never be reduced to purely quantitative data, a comprehensive compilation of such information can provide a clearer picture and contribute to a healthier and better informed debate....

September 16, 2009
Iraqi Government Ministry of Displacement and Migration // International Organization for Migration in Iraq

Abstract:

As IDP and refugee families continue to return slowly to Baghdad and other areas of Iraq, assessments of returnee families’ situations and needs are vital for targeting assistance and understanding the returnee context. IOM, in cooperation with MoDM, has been monitoring returnee families in Baghdad since December 2007. In addition, IOM, through its IDP monitoring network, expanded returnee monitoring to other governorates in Iraq. These assessments allow MoDM, IOM and other organizations to prioritize areas of operation, plan emergency responses, and design long-term, durable solutions to assist returnees as they return. The current MoDM /IOM tabulation report presents detailed tables, statistics, and analysis of 3,072 returnee families, interviewed between 15 December 2007 to 12 February 2009 all over Iraq. Of these, 1,800 were interviewed in Baghdad....

November 12, 2008
Opinion Research Business // Global Policy Forum

Abstract:

More than one million Iraqis have died as a result of the conflict in their country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, according to research conducted by one of Britain's leading polling groups. The survey, conducted by Opinion Research Business (ORB) with 2,414 adults in face-to-face interviews, found that 20 percent of people had had at least one death in their household as a result of the conflict, rather than natural causes. The last complete census in Iraq conducted in 1997 found 4.05 million households in the country, a figure ORB used to calculate that approximately 1.03 million people had died as a result of the war, the researchers found. The margin of error in the survey, conducted in August and September 2007, was 1.7 percent, giving a range of deaths of 946,258 to 1.12 million. ORB originally found that 1.2 million people had died, but decided to go back and conduct more research in rural areas to make the survey as comprehensive as possible and then came up with the revised figure. The research covered 15 of Iraq's 18 provinces. Those that not covered included two of Iraq's more volatile regions -- Kerbala and Anbar -- and the northern province of Arbil, where local authorities refused them a permit to work. Estimates of deaths in Iraq have been highly controversial in the past. Medical journal The Lancet published a peer-reviewed report in 2004 stating that there had been 100,000 more deaths than would normally be expected since the March 2003 invasion, kicking off a storm of protest. The widely watched Web site Iraq Body Count currently estimates that between 80,699 and 88,126 people have died in the conflict, although its methodology and figures have also been questioned by U.S. authorities and others. ORB, a non-government-funded group founded in 1994, conducts research for the private, public and voluntary sectors. The director of the group, Allan Hyde, said it had no objective other than to record as accurately as possible the number of deaths among the Iraqi population as a result of the invasion and ensuing conflict....

October 21, 2008
Iraqi Government Ministry of Displacement and Migration // International Organization for Migration in Iraq

Abstract:

Following the February 2006 bombing of the Samarra Al-Askari Mosque, escalating sectarian violence in Iraq caused massive displacement. In coordination with the Iraqi government’s Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoDM), IOM continues to assess the movement of Iraqi IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) and returnees through a network of partners on the ground. This report contains detailed tables documenting the locations, numbers, demographic and socio-economic characteristics, living conditions, and needs of Iraqi IDPs....

August 10, 2010
The New York Times

Abstract:

At War is a reported blog from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and other conflicts in the post-9/11 era. The NYT’s award-winning team provides insight — and answers questions — about combatants on the faultlines, and civilians caught in the middle. It is maintained by Stephen Farrell. Farrell works from the field to manage the At War blog, which also features posts written by members of The Times’ staff around the world.