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Summary:
Operation Iraqi Freedom accomplished a long-standing U.S. objective, the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, but replacing his regime with a stable, moderate, democratic political structure has run into significant difficulty. The desired outcome would likely prevent Iraq from becoming a sanctuary for terrorists, a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission report (Chapter 12, Section 2). During the 1990s, U.S. efforts to covertly change the regime failed because of limited U.S. commitment, disorganization of the Iraqi opposition, and the vigilance of Iraq's several overlapping security services. Previous U.S. Administrations had ruled out a U.S. military invasion to change the regime, believing such action would be risky and that Iraq did not pose a level of threat that would justify war. President George W. Bush characterized Iraq as a grave and gathering threat to the United States because of its refusal to abandon its weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs and its potential to transfer WMD to terrorist groups. After a November 2002-March 2003 round of U.N. WMD inspections in which Iraq's cooperation was mixed, on March 19, 2003, the United States launched Operation Iraqi Freedom to disarm Iraq and change its regime. The regime fell on April 9, 2003. In the months prior to the war, the Administration stressed that regime change through U.S.-led military action would yield benefits beyond disarmament and reduction of support for terrorism -- Iraq's conversion from dictatorship to democracy, it was argued, might catalyze the promotion of democracy throughout the Middle East. However, escalating resistance to the U.S.-led occupation has complicated U.S. efforts to establish legitimate and effective Iraqi political and security bodies and establish democracy. Partly in an effort to satisfy Iraqi demands for an end to coalition occupation, the United States accelerated the hand over of sovereignty. An interim government was named on June 1, 2004, and the handover took place on June 28, 2004. Elections will be held on January 30, 2005 for a transitional National Assembly, and current plans are for votes on a permanent constitution by October 31, 2005, and for a permanent government by December 15, 2005. Although acknowledging that the insurgency is adversely affecting U.S. policy, the Bush Administration asserts that U.S. policy in Iraq will ultimately succeed as U.S., NATO, and other trainers build Iraq's various security bodies. Some believe the United States should add significant numbers of troops to the current level of about 150,000, plus about 26,000 foreign military personnel. Others believe the United States needs to take new steps to recruit major international force contributors, and yet some others believe that the United States should quickly reduce its presence in Iraq or set a timetable for withdrawal. This report will be updated as warranted by major developments. See also CRS Report RS21968, Iraq: Post-Saddam National Elections, and CRS Report RL31833, Iraq: Recent Developments in Reconstruction Assistance.
