U.S. Reconstruction Strategy in Iraq

Abstract

Abstract : The reconstruction strategy in Iraq was built on an assumption that a secure and safe environment was going to prevail throughout most of the rebuilding effort; the ongoing insurgencies and sectarian violence have clearly toppled that assumption. Indeed, it will take some strategic patience for the security situation to develop sufficiently so that a full-scale reconstruction effort can take root. In the interim, military formations can bridge the gap through the bottom-up Commander's Emergency Response Program. Restoration of essential services, if tied to the national reconstruction strategy, can provide stepping stones towards rebuilding a nation-state. This strategy research project introduces a reconstruction strategy formulation model (RSFM) that civilian leaders and military commanders can use to design a strategy to put the local indigenous population immediately to work towards rebuilding their local communities, while simultaneously keeping the national reconstruction effort at the forefront. The RSFM emphasizes a full spectrum bottom-up effects-based approach with connective tissue throughout all operational phases that encompasses local, state/province, and national reconstruction projects. This approach sets the conditions for transferring the reconstruction effort to civilian control by incorporating the reconstruction effort holistically throughout the operational campaign.