Iraq: International Attitudes to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Reconstruction (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Dec. 18, 2003 |
| Report Number |
RL31843 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Steven A. Hildreth, Jeremy Sharp, Melanie Caesar, Adam Frost, and Helene Machart, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
On May 1, 2003, President Bush announced the end of the combat phase of the U.S.-led war in
Iraq.
President Bush referred to the war as a "victory" and claimed that "in the battle of Iraq, the United
States and our allies have prevailed." ("President Bush Announces that Combat Operations in Iraq
Have Ended," White House Press , May 1, 2003). In the aftermath of the war, the U.S.
military
presence in postwar Iraq persists. Approximately 130,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq and are
partaking in the reconstruction and stabilization of the country. Under UNSC Res. 1483, the
Administration's current objective in Iraq is to secure and rebuild the country and fulfill the
humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people. However, restoring law and order and delivering basic
services continues to be threatened by lawlessness and violence by a variety of Hussein loyalists,
ex-soldiers, criminal elements, and possibly international fighters.
Numerous countries are contributing to reconstruction and stabilization forces in Iraq. The
United Kingdom governs the southern part of the country, where there are nearly 12,000 British
troops. Meanwhile, Poland -- with some logistical assistance from NATO -- oversees the
central-southern region and leads a force consisting of 9,200 troops from Europe, Asia, and Latin
America. Still, other countries that have not contributed troops, such as Saudi Arabia and China,
have offered monetary pledges and humanitarian aid.
There has been an increase in international cooperation between the United States and the
countries that opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq in the postwar period. On October 16, 2003, the U.N.
Security Council unanimously approved UNSC Res. 1511. This resolution authorized a
multinational force under unified command (article 13), welcomed countries to pledge substantially
to Iraq's reconstruction needs (article 24), and signaled an overall greater role for the United Nations
in postwar Iraq. The spirit of international cooperation was also evident at the Madrid International
Conference on Reconstruction in Iraq on October 24, 2003. The conference garnered close to $13
billion in aid pledges from countries and donors other than the United States. Some analysts suggest,
however, that foreign governments are still hesitant to contribute peacekeeping troops and financial
assistance out of fear of appearing to sanction the Iraq war.
Concerns over (1) the deteriorating security situation and troops' safety, (2) the accuracy of
prewar intelligence on Iraq, including the unproven assertion of a large-scale program to develop
chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, and (3) the timetable and design for establishing an
internationally recognized, "legitimate" Iraqi government, however, have rekindled the prewar
debate over the use of military action against Iraq and predictions about the ease of "regime change"
in Iraq. In light of the latter concerns, the U.S. government has recently announced that it may seek
an additional U.N. resolution to back its proposal for turning over authority to a sovereign Iraqi
government. Presumably, such concerns might affect the extent of foreign support toward postwar
Iraq reconstruction.
