Withdrawing from Iraq

The U.S. and Iraqi governments—and most Iraqis—want to see both the U.S. presence in Iraq reduced, with the Iraqi government and security forces assuming a greater role in providing for public security. The challenge is to effect this drawdown while preserving security and stability in the country and in the region. Asked by the U.S. Congress to study the withdrawal from Iraq, RAND researchers assessed logistical constraints, trends in insurgent activity, the readiness of Iraqi security forces, and implications for the size of the residual U.S. force and for security in Iraq and the region. This book presents alternative schedules: one consistent with the Obama administration's intentions, one somewhat slower, and another faster. It also identifies steps to alleviate constraints and risks.