2012-02-09T23:03:23Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/iraq.html http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/02/01/TH.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012

With U.S. troops out of Iraq, the U.S. presence there will fall to 5,000 private security contractors....The experience with private security contractors during the war was fraught with challenges that pose risks now, writes Molly Dunigan.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9618.html Nov 17, 2011 Nov 17, 2011

Assess the demands placed upon the Army by the continuing deployments of soldiers to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1111z2.html Sep 7, 2011 Sep 7, 2011

This book examines six case studies of insurgencies from around the world to determine the key factors necessary for a successful transition from counterinsurgency to a more stable situation. The authors review the causes of each insurgency and the key players involved, and examine what the government did right — or wrong — to bring the insurgency to an end and to transition to greater stability.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP335.html Aug 17, 2011 Aug 17, 2011

Using primary sources and interviews with those involved in the fighting and its aftermath, the authors describe the 2008 Battle of Sadr City, analyze its outcome, and derive implications for the conduct of land operations. Their analysis identifies factors critical to the coalition victory over Jaish al-Mahdi and describes a new model for dealing with insurgent control of urban areas.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2011/08/03/CNN.html Aug 3, 2011 Aug 3, 2011

Both Iraqi and Kurdish officials have expressed concern that ethnic violence will break out in the north once U.S. troops withdraw. Though many state publicly that the U.S. "occupation" must end, some of these same officials say privately that they would like U.S. troops to remain as a go-between, writes Larry Hanauer.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP339.html Jul 25, 2011 Jul 25, 2011

Continuing tensions between Arab and Kurdish communities in Iraq could lead to inadvertent armed conflict unless Iraqi leaders resolve outstanding disputes regarding federalism, the legal and political status of disputed territories, and the management of northern Iraq's oil and gas resources.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG934.html Jun 9, 2011 Jun 9, 2011

Prisoner-of-war and detainee operations are a crucial component in the successful prosecution of a conflict — particularly in counterinsurgency operations — and should be upgraded to receive more attention and better advance preparation.

http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/06/09.html Jun 9, 2011 Jun 9, 2011

Prisoner-of-war and detainee operations are a crucial component in the successful prosecution of a conflict -- particularly in counterinsurgency operations -- and should be upgraded to receive more attention and better advance preparation.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2011/05/25/PM.html May 25, 2011 May 25, 2011

Questions not asked or stories not imagined by policy are not likely to be answered or developed by intelligence, writes Gregory F. Treverton.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR862.html Mar 31, 2011 Mar 31, 2011

Examines "reachback" -- the use of contracting capability outside of the theater of operations to accomplish contracting tasks for customers in-theater -- as a potential means for reducing the deployment burden on military contracting personnel. The authors find that reachback might improve performance in some areas and has the potential to reduce deployments, but other issues also need to be addressed to reduce stress on the contracting career field.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG1026.html Dec 22, 2010 Dec 22, 2010

An analysis of the financial operations and economics of al-Qa'ida in Iraq in Anbar province indicates that members were poorly compensated and suggests that they were not motivated primarily by money to join the group.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP254.html Aug 24, 2010 Aug 24, 2010

<p>The C-27J Spartan is a reasonable replacement for the C-23 Sherpa aircraft that now transport mission critical, time sensitive (MCTS) cargo and passengers to brigade combat teams in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army's direct support approach for moving MCTS shipments using its organic aircraft is inherently more responsive than that of the Air Force, but both services should be able to improve the responsiveness of delivering MCTS shipments.</p>

http://www.rand.org/news/press/2010/07/19.html Jul 19, 2010 Jul 19, 2010

Good counterinsurgency practices tend to run in packs and whether a campaign includes more good practices than bad ones is a strong predictor of the outcomes of campaigns historically.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG964.html Jul 19, 2010 Jul 19, 2010

<p>Approaches to counterinsurgency from 30 recent resolved campaigns show that good counterinsurgency practices tend to "run in packs" and that historically, the balance of selected good and ineffective practices perfectly predicts the outcome of a conflict.</p>

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP286.html Jul 16, 2010 Jul 16, 2010

<p>Some view DNA as a useful way for the U.S. Department of Defense to keep track of a large and ever-growing number of people as it executes its mission. However, serious questions remain about the technical requirements, policy and legal ramifications, and costs and benefits of this tool compared with other biometrics.</p>

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR836.html Jul 9, 2010 Jul 9, 2010

<p>Effective counterinsurgency is dependent on understanding the local population. A survey of those living in Iraq's Anbar Province (once one of the country's most violent areas), reveals both the many improvements that have occurred, as well as the extent to which these Iraqis have suffered from the effects of war.</p>

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP287.html Jul 1, 2010 Jul 1, 2010

<p>Militaries from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Denmark, and Israel all see a role for heavy forces, including tanks, in irregular warfare and hybrid warfare environments because they reduce operational risk, minimize friendly casualties, and provide an intimidation factor against adversaries.</p>

http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP278.html Jun 25, 2010 Jun 25, 2010

<p>As U.S. forces withdraw from Iraq, significant changes can be expected throughout al-Anbar Province in security, political, economic, and even cultural relationships. RAND convened a series of three one-day workshops at which participants identified five relatively distinct futures, or scenarios, for al-Anbar that provide plausible but alternative trajectories for the province between early 2009 and the end of 2011.</p>

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG870z1.html Jun 24, 2010 Jun 24, 2010

<p>Building on a framework for integrating civil and military counterinsurgency (COIN), this volume presents an approach to the civil component, illustrated with three case studies from Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. </p>

http://www.rand.org/news/press/2010/06/16.html Jun 16, 2010 Jun 16, 2010

While U.S. government officials working in Iraq believe the use of armed private security contractors has been a useful strategy, many worry that the contractors have not always had a positive effect on U.S. foreign policy objectives.