Securing the Peace After the Fall of Isil

Iraqi security forces supported by the U. S. advise and assist mission have succeeded in retaking most major population centers once controlled by ISIS-Fallujah, Ramadi, and Mosul, ISIS's power center in Iraq. Most recently, coalition-supported Iraqi forces seized back the city of Tal Afar in the northwestern corner of Iraq and only isolated ISIS strongholds remain outside of Hawija, Qaim, and other pockets along the Syria-Iraq border. Such victories have not been without a human toll. ISIS's brutal tactics, employing civilians as human shields, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, and booby-trapped residential areas resulted in over 1,400 Iraqi troops killed and at least 7,000 wounded, according to our embassy in Baghdad. The U. S. commander of the Combined Joint Task Force in charge of the counter-ISIS campaign, Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend, called it the, "worst fighting he had seen in 35 years," of combat experience and likened it to Fallujah 2004 on steroids. Following Operation Iraqi Freedom, the United States worked to reestablish civil institutions and rebuild the military and police forces in Iraq. Nonetheless, conditions in the country deteriorated, leaving a security void that ISIL managed to exploit. Our first panel of very insightful outside experts will discuss the broader strategic issues associated with ISIL's loss of territory and highlight critical issues that should be considered as the administration's Iraq policy evolves. Our second panel will address the numerous challenges associated with stabilization and rebuilding in Iraq and discuss the status of U. S. government efforts to improve the political and security environment in Iraq.