Ending the U.S. War in Iraq: The Final Transition, Operational Maneuver, and Disestablishment of the United States Forces--Iraq - Hardcover

Brennan, Richard; Ries, Charles P.; Hanauer, Larry; Connable, Ben; Kelly, Terrence K.; McNerney, Michael J.; Young University Of Southern In, Stephanie L.; Campbell, Jason H.; McMahon, K. Scott

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0833082450 ISBN 13: 9780833082459

Publisher: RAND Corporation, 2013

Synopsis

Documents the planning and execution of the U.S. military’s exit from Iraq, the transition of responsibilities to the Iraqi government and other U.S. departments and agencies, and lessons for future military drawdowns and the resulting diplomatic transitions

About this title

About the Author

Richard "Rick" Brennan is a Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation.  He is career Army officer who received his Ph.D. from UCLA and has extensive expertise relating to national security policy regarding Iraq, Iran and the broader Middle East.  From 2006 through 2011 Dr. Brennan worked in Baghdad, Iraq in support of the U.S. military while serving in various positions to include the RAND team leader within the Joint Interagency Task Force - Iraq, Director of the Commanding General's Checkmate Team, and Senior Advisor to the USF-I Director of Operations (J3).  During the last two years of the U.S. military operation in Iraq he participated in much of the planning efforts related to the transition and was an eyewitness to the final operational maneuver of forces out of Iraq.  He lives in Tempe, AZ.  Ambassador Charles Ries is the Vice President, International at the RAND Corporation. Ries' three decades in the U.S. diplomatic service included an assignment as Coordinator for Economic Transition in Iraq at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad (2007-2008), where he was responsible for oversight and coordination of assistance and economic policy initiatives. He lives in Washington, D.C.

From the Back Cover

Over the course of the U.S. engagement in Iraq, the U.S. military managed hundreds of bases and facilities and used millions of pieces of equipment. The military not only was involved with security-related activities but also assisted in political and economic functions the host nation government or other U.S. departments would normally perform. A 2010 assessment identified that responsibility for 431 activities would need to be handed off to the government of Iraq, the U.S. embassy, U.S. Central Command, or other U.S. government departments. Ending the U.S. war in Iraq would also require redeploying over 100,000 military and civilian personnel and moving or transferring ownership of over a million pieces of property, including facilities, in accordance with U.S. and Iraqi laws, national policy, and Department of Defense requirements. This book looks at the planning and execution of this transition, using information gathered from historical documents and interviews with key players. It examines efforts to help Iraq build the capacity necessary to manage its own security absent a U.S. military presence. It also looks at the complications that arose from uncertainty over just how much of a presence the United States would continue to have beyond 2011 and how various posttransition objectives would be advanced. The authors also examine efforts to create an embassy intended to survive in a hostile environment by being entirely self-sufficient, performing missions the military previously performed. The authors draw lessons from these events that can help plan for ending future wars.

From the Inside Flap

It took roughly two years to wrap up a long-term, countrywide military presence in Iraq that, at its peak, involved more than 170,000 American troops; a comparably sized army of supporting contractors; and more than 500 bases and outposts. Political, operational, bureaucratic, and fiscal challenges arose from both the U.S. and Iraqi sides, but Embassy Baghdad was prepared to undertake its primary diplomatic missions when U.S. forces departed. More than a year later, and despite hardships and political upheaval, the embassy continues to manage a multifaceted bilateral relationship that advances the shared political, economic, and strategic interests of both nations-- something that was not possible a mere ten years earlier. This book details the history of the transition process that marked last two years of the U.S. military presence in Iraq. While the transition process was uniquely developed for Iraq, the policy and strategic lessons learned provide important data points that can inform how to end future conflicts.

Edition details

• Publisher: RAND Corporation
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0833082450
• ISBN 13: 9780833082459
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 606