Precedents, Variables, and Options in Planning A U.S. Military Disengagement Strategy from Iraq

viii, 60 pages. Endnotes. The Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) is part of the U.S. Army War College and is the strategic level study agent for issues related to national security and military strategy with emphasis on geostrategic analysis. Studies produced by civilian and military analysts concern topics having strategic implications for the Army, the Department of Defense, and the larger national security community. Paraphrased from the forward by Douglas Lovelace, SSI Director: The questions of how to empower the Iraqis and then progressively withdraw from that country is a complex issue that is not handled constructively by commentators in the media. In this monograph, the authors present the U.S. situation in Iraq in all its complexity and ambiguity and present recommendations for implementing an effective withdrawal strategy. Dr. Conrad C. Crane is the Director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute. Dr. W. Andrew Terrill is SSI's Middle East Specialist.