U.S. experts see rare chance for stability in Iraq
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The sharp drop in violence that has accompanied the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq has given the war-torn country a rare opportunity for stability, analysts said on Wednesday.
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If US forces prevail, keeping the city stable afterward may influence what happens elsewhere in Iraq.
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The meeting is a possible sign that the United States is exploring new options in Iraq.
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U.S. intelligence experts painted a gloomy picture of Iraq, saying in a report seen on Friday that sectarian bloodshed had surpassed the threat from al Qaeda and warning of the consequences of a rapid U.S. withdrawal.
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For two hours, President Bush listened to contrasting visions of the U.S. future in Iraq. Gen. David H. Petraeus dominated the conversation by video link from Baghdad, making the case to keep as many troops as long as possible to cement any security progress. Adm. William J. Fallon, his superior,...
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Analysis: There's less difference than it may seem in how Republicans and Democrats want to manage Iraq
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The next three to four months will be vital to determine if violence in Iraq can be cut further and security maintained with fewer American troops, the number two U.S. military commander in Iraq said on Tuesday.
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President Bush's chaotic summit with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a telling sign of U.S. worries that the raging conflict in Iraq could tip the balance of power in the Middle East well beyond embattled Baghdad.
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A revised U.S. military plan envisions establishing security at the local level in Baghdad and elsewhere by next summer, it likely would take another year to get Iraqi forces ready to enforce any newfound stability, U.S. officials said Tuesday.
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The debate in Washington over troop numbers is intense. But in Baghdad, there's been little sense of alarm or urgency among the Iraqi politicians who would have the most to lose if the United States decides to begin a major pull back.
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ADELPHI, Md. - It will take three to five years before Iraq's government is stable enough to operate on its own, according to the former commander of US forces in the Middle East, who said the surge of American forces has not solved the country's broader problems.
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The U.S. military is unlikely to reduce forces in Iraq before next spring because the current contingent of more than 140,000 troops is battling sectarian violence that could prove "fatal" to the country if not arrested, the top American commander in the Middle East said yesterday.
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A new approach by American-led forces in Iraq is producing "breathtaking" improvements in security in some areas, says Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in the country, but al Qaeda in Iraq remains well-entrenched in some Baghdad neighborhoods.
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Officials from regional states including Iran and Syria will join U.S. and British envoys at a meeting in Baghdad next month to seek ways to stabilize Iraq, the Iraqi foreign minister said on Tuesday.
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Teams of US experts in law and management are trying to develop governance by the rule of law in northern Iraq.
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Syria and Iran are willing to help stabilize Iraq, as the Iraq Study Group recommended Wednesday, but both countries will want something in return and neither has a magic solution to the chaos, Mideast officials and analysts said.
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The campaign's focus on Iraq holds risks and rewards for President Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry and it could leave both at the mercy of unpredictable events as Iraq becomes more unstable.