Iraq: Foreign Contributions to Stabilization and Reconstruction (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Dec. 26, 2007 |
| Report Number |
RL32105 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Christopher M. Blanchard and Catherine Marie Dale, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
U.S. policymakers have made securing and maintaining foreign contributions to the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq a major priority since the preparation period for the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March 2003. This report highlights and discusses important changes in financial and personnel contributions from foreign governments to Iraq since 2003.
To date, foreign donors have pledged an estimated $16.4 billion in grants and loans for Iraq reconstruction, with most major pledges originating at a major donors' conference in Madrid, Spain, in October 2003. However, only a small part of the pledges have been committed or disbursed to the World Bank and United Nations Development Group Trust Funds for Iraq. The largest non-U.S. pledges of grants have come from Japan, the European Commission, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, Japan, and Saudi Arabia have pledged the most loans and export credits.
Currently, 33 countries including the United States have some level of troops on the ground in Iraq or supporting Iraq operations from nearby locations. Those forces are working under the rubric of one of several organizationsâthe Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I), the NATO Training Mission-Iraq (NTM-I); or the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Currently, the largest troop contributors, in addition to the United States, are the United Kingdom, Georgia, Australia, South Korea, and Poland. Some of these key contributors have announced their intention to reduce or withdraw their forces from Iraq during 2008. The total number of non-U.S. coalition troop contributions has declined since the early stabilization efforts, as other countries have withdrawn their contingents or substantially reduced their size.
Since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April 2003, a number of coalition, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other countries have contributed personnel, equipment, and/or facilities to the training of Iraqi security forces. Supporting the establishment of effective Iraqi security forces is a core element of the Administration's current strategy for Iraq, "the New Way Forward," and several of the congressionally mandated benchmarks for Iraq refer to these efforts. Planned U.S.-Iraqi negotiation aimed at achieving a "strategic framework agreement" to replace the current United Nations mandate for U.S. military operations in Iraq may have implications for the future participation of coalition members in stabilization and training efforts.
This report will be updated to reflect important developments. For a broader review of foreign support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, see CRS Report RL31339, Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security, by Kenneth Katzman, and CRS Report RL31833, Iraq: Reconstruction Assistance, by Curt Tarnoff.
