Rethinking Iraq: Anatomy of the surge

Developing and implementing a workable strategy that can be handed over to Bush's successor is a big challenge. Although key developments can be made during President Bush tenure, his actions will all be carried out on the next administration. A new and different strategy called "surge" emerged out of a growing recognition over 2006 that critics were right about the existing Iraq policy that is not working. Critics said that there is a need to push Iraqi government officials to come together politically and to train Iraqi troops so that they could take over from American forces. The military leader of surge, General David Petraeus and America's chief diplomat in Iraq Ambassador Ryan Crocker will report their second report to Congress on the surge and its effects. After giving the first report, the surge has bought precious time for the United States and the Iraqi state to progress toward to five specific objectives: (1) wiping out the inciters of sectarian violence; (2) building up a larger, more capable, and more integrated Iraqi Security Force; (3) giving Iraqis the opportunity to create means of political accommodation locally and from the bottom up; (4) making the central top down government in Baghdad more responsive to the nation's 18 provinces by opening projects that will improve the economic and living conditions of the country's citizenry at large; and (5) pushing Iraqi politicians to pass legislations on a number of important measures. After the implementation, the strategy has exceeded everyone's expectations.

Duke Scholars

Author Peter D. Feaver Political Science