Crs Report for Congress - Iraq: U.S. Regime Change Efforts and Post-Saddam Governance October 24, 2005 - Rl31339 (Paperback)

Operation Iraqi Freedom succeeded in overthrowing Saddam Hussein, but replacing his regime with a stable, moderate, democratic political structure has been complicated by Sunni Arab resentment and a related insurgency. The Bush Administration says that U.S. forces will remain in Iraq until the stated mission is complete: the establishment of a stable democracy that will not host radical Islamist forces and would serve as a model for democratic reform throughout the Middle East. However, a growing number of accounts suggest that mounting casualties and costs might cause the Administration to wind down the U.S. involvement without completely accomplishing those goals. The Bush Administration asserts that U.S. policy in Iraq is showing important successes, demonstrated by elections that chose a National Assembly (January 30, 2005), the referendum on the permanent constitution (October 15, 2005), progress in building Iraq's various security forces, and economic growth. The next major milestone will be the holding of elections for a permanent government by December 15, 2005. The Administration has been working with the new Iraqi government to include more Sunni Arabs in the power structure; Sunnis, many of whom are mobilizing to vote against the draft constitution, were dominant during the regime of Saddam Hussein ...