{ "id": "R45096", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R45096", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 586185, "date": "2018-10-04", "retrieved": "2019-12-20T20:48:23.430176", "title": "Iraq: Issues in the 115th Congress", "summary": "Iraq\u2019s government declared military victory against the Islamic State organization (IS, aka ISIS/ISIL) in December 2017, but insurgent attacks by remaining IS fighters threaten Iraqis as they shift their attention toward recovery and the country\u2019s political future. Security conditions have improved since the Islamic State\u2019s control of territory was disrupted, but IS fighters are active in some areas and security conditions are fluid. \nMeanwhile, daunting resettlement, reconstruction, and reform needs occupy citizens and leaders. Internally displaced Iraqis are returning home in greater numbers, but stabilization and reconstruction needs in liberated areas are extensive. An estimated 1.9 million Iraqis remain as internally displaced persons (IDPs), and Iraqi authorities have identified $88 billion in reconstruction needs over the next decade. Large protests in southern Iraq during August and September 2018 highlighted some citizens\u2019 outrage with poor service delivery and corruption.\nNational legislative elections were held in May 2018, but results were not certified until August, delaying the formal start of required steps to form the next government. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi sought reelection, but his electoral list\u2019s third-place showing and lack of internal cohesion undermined his chances for a second term. On October 2, Iraq\u2019s Council of Representatives (COR) chose former Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister and former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih as Iraq\u2019s President. Salih, in turn, named former Oil Minister Adel Abd al Mahdi as Prime Minister-designate and directed him to assemble a slate of cabinet officials for COR approval within 30 days.\nParamilitary forces have grown stronger and more numerous since 2014, and have yet to be fully integrated into national security institutions. Some figures associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) that were organized to fight the Islamic State participated in the 2018 election campaign and won seats in the Council of Representatives, including individuals with ties to Iran. Iraqi politicians have increasingly employed cross-sectarian political and economic narratives in an attempt to appeal to disaffected citizens, but identity-driven politics continue to influence developments. Iraq\u2019s neighbors and other outsiders, including the United States, are pursuing their respective interests in Iraq, at times in competition.\nThe Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq (KRI) enjoys considerable administrative autonomy under the terms of Iraq\u2019s 2005 constitution, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held legislative elections on September 30, 2018. The KRG had held a controversial advisory referendum on independence in September 2017, amplifying political tensions with the national government, which moved to reassert security control of disputed areas that had been secured by Kurdish forces after the Islamic State\u2019s mid-2014 advance. Iraqi and Kurdish security forces remain deployed across from each other along contested lines of control, while their respective leaders are engaged in negotiations over a host of sensitive issues.\nIn general, U.S. engagement with Iraqis since 2011 has sought to reinforce Iraq\u2019s unifying tendencies and avoid divisive outcomes. At the same time, successive U.S. Administrations have sought to keep U.S. involvement and investment minimal relative to the 2003-2011 era, pursuing U.S. interests through partnership with various entities in Iraq and the development of those partners\u2019 capabilities\u2014rather than through extensive deployment of U.S. military forces. The Trump Administration has sustained a cooperative relationship with the Iraqi government and plans to continue security training for Iraqi security forces. To date, the 115th Congress has appropriated funds for U.S. military operations against the Islamic State and for security assistance, humanitarian relief, and foreign aid for Iraq. For background on Iraq and its relations with the United States, see CRS Report R45025, Iraq: Background and U.S. Policy.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R45096", "sha1": "e4a7145eb87fcfaed13102c8aa50c0f14c885571", "filename": "files/20181004_R45096_e4a7145eb87fcfaed13102c8aa50c0f14c885571.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/1.png": "files/20181004_R45096_images_034d24d4ab40330b658f09c00decabf84597b909.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/0.png": "files/20181004_R45096_images_7e92895a1339382421a68bb80df3c0d25b83fed1.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/2.png": "files/20181004_R45096_images_e65e81552dff26d9514ea836629e9973ab5b6078.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/4.png": "files/20181004_R45096_images_ef89c3c6deadbc3105448dd6bb4664ac14f42c47.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/3.png": "files/20181004_R45096_images_639f48e8aaaedeb7a1ca5f3f11b5f824037d3f42.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R45096", "sha1": "d205d6c6f522dc1adcec4f270394fade95a1e19f", "filename": "files/20181004_R45096_d205d6c6f522dc1adcec4f270394fade95a1e19f.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 578898, "date": "2018-03-05", "retrieved": "2018-05-10T11:13:02.906386", "title": "Iraq: In Brief", "summary": "Iraq\u2019s government declared military victory against the terrorist insurgents of the Islamic State group (IS, aka ISIS/ISIL) in December 2017, and Iraqis are shifting their attention toward recovery and the country\u2019s political future. Security conditions have improved but remain fluid, and daunting resettlement, reconstruction, and reform needs occupy citizens and decisionmakers. National legislative elections are scheduled for May 2018, and campaigning reflects issues stemming from the 2014-2017 conflict with the Islamic State as well as a range of preexisting internal disputes and governance challenges. Ethnic, religious, regional, and tribal identities remain politically relevant, as do partisanship, personal rivalries, economic disparities, and natural resource imbalances. Iraq\u2019s neighbors and other outsiders continue to pursue their interests in the country, at times cooperatively and at times in competition.\nIraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi is seeking reelection in May, but rivals from other factions and movements are running as competitors. While Iraq\u2019s major ethnic and religious constituencies are each politically diverse, many Iraqis advance similar demands for improved security, government effectiveness, and economic opportunity. Prime Minister Abadi and other politicians increasingly employ cross-sectarian political and economic narratives, but identity-driven politics continue to influence developments across the country. \nThe Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq (KRI) enjoys considerable administrative autonomy under the terms of Iraq\u2019s 2005 constitution, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) expects to hold legislative and presidential elections sometime in 2018. The KRG held a controversial advisory referendum on independence on September 25, 2017, amplifying political tensions with the national government and prompting criticism from the Trump Administration and the United Nations Security Council. In October 2017, the national government imposed a ban on international flights to and from the KRI, and Iraqi security forces moved to reassert security control of disputed areas that had been secured by Kurdish forces after the Islamic State\u2019s mid-2014 advance. Much of the oil-rich governorate of Kirkuk\u2014long claimed by Iraqi Kurds\u2014returned to national government control, and resulting controversies have riven Kurdish politics. Iraqi and Kurdish security forces remain deployed across from each other along contested lines of control while their respective leaders are engaged in negotiations over a host of sensitive issues.\nInternally displaced Iraqis are returning home in greater numbers, but stabilization and reconstruction needs in areas liberated from the Islamic State are extensive. An estimated 2.4 million Iraqis remain internally displaced (IDPs), and Iraqi authorities have identified $88 billion in reconstruction needs over the next decade. Paramilitary forces have grown stronger and more numerous since 2014, but have yet to be fully integrated into national security institutions. Some figures associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militias that were organized to fight the Islamic State are participating in the 2018 election campaign and may cooperate with or challenge Prime Minister Abadi, including individuals with ties to Iran.\nIn general, U.S. engagement with Iraqis since 2011 has sought to reinforce Iraq\u2019s unifying tendencies and avoid divisive outcomes. At the same time, successive Administrations have sought to keep U.S. involvement and investment minimal relative to the 2003-2011 era, pursuing U.S. interests through partnership with various entities in Iraq and the development of those partners\u2019 capabilities\u2014rather than through extensive deployment of U.S. military forces. U.S. economic assistance bolsters Iraq\u2019s ability to attract lending support and seeks to improve the Iraqi government\u2019s effectiveness and public financial management. The United States is the leading provider of humanitarian assistance to Iraq and also supports post-IS stabilization activities across the country through grants to United Nations agencies and other entities.\nThe Trump Administration has sustained a cooperative relationship with the Iraqi government and has requested funding to support Iraq\u2019s stabilization and continue security training for Iraqi forces beyond the completion of major military operations against the Islamic State. The nature and extent of the U.S. military presence and mission in Iraq is evolving as conditions on the ground change and may change if newly elected Iraqi officials revise their training needs and requests.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R45096", "sha1": "0959ba7cca833e3782c90bd0894ced9874b396b3", "filename": "files/20180305_R45096_0959ba7cca833e3782c90bd0894ced9874b396b3.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180305_R45096_images_0bd43d63ef9c6abdcc143ff2728e3b14aa6ced7d.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180305_R45096_images_56a39c95b46a2bc1bacfc38cdd99444f0d071298.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/2.png": "files/20180305_R45096_images_017c1c39ef1857a52744ccb1d503ab396d7cbc8f.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R45096", "sha1": "307d1f4778c317888c9437526226f0d7c0b5aa36", "filename": "files/20180305_R45096_307d1f4778c317888c9437526226f0d7c0b5aa36.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 578216, "date": "2018-02-06", "retrieved": "2018-02-13T14:13:08.666981", "title": "Iraq: In Brief", "summary": "Iraq\u2019s government declared military victory against the terrorist insurgents of the Islamic State group (IS, aka ISIS/ISIL) in December 2017, and Iraqis are shifting their attention toward recovery and the country\u2019s political future. Security conditions have improved (Figure 1) but remain fluid, and daunting resettlement, reconstruction, and reform needs occupy citizens and decision makers. National legislative elections are scheduled for May 2018, and campaigning reflects issues stemming from the 2014-2017 conflict with the Islamic State as well a range of preexisting internal disputes and governance challenges. Ethnic, religious, regional, and tribal identities remain politically relevant, as do partisanship, personal rivalries, economic disparities, and natural resource imbalances. Iraq\u2019s neighbors and other outsiders continue to pursue their interests in the country, at times cooperatively and at times in competition.\nIraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi is seeking reelection in May, but rivals from other factions and movements are running as competitors. While Iraq\u2019s major ethnic and religious constituencies are each politically diverse, many Iraqis advance similar demands for improved security, government effectiveness, and economic opportunity. Prime Minister Abadi and other politicians increasingly employ cross-sectarian political and economic narratives, but identity-driven politics continue to influence developments across the country. \nThe Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq (KRI) enjoys considerable administrative autonomy under the terms of Iraq\u2019s 2005 constitution, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) expects to hold legislative and presidential elections sometime in 2018. The KRG held a controversial advisory referendum on independence on September 25, 2017, amplifying political tensions with the national government and prompting criticism from the Trump Administration and the United Nations Security Council. In October 2017, the national government imposed a ban on international flights to and from the KRI, and Iraqi security forces moved to reassert security control of disputed areas that had been secured by Kurdish forces after the Islamic State\u2019s mid-2014 advance. Much of the oil-rich governorate of Kirkuk\u2014long claimed by Iraqi Kurds\u2014returned to national government control, and resulting controversies have riven Kurdish politics. Iraqi and Kurdish security forces remain deployed across from each other along contested lines of control while their respective leaders are engaged in negotiations over a host of sensitive issues.\nInternally displaced Iraqis are returning home in greater numbers, but stabilization and reconstruction needs in areas liberated from the Islamic State are extensive. As of early 2018, an estimated 2.5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) remain, and authorities seek up to $100 billion for reconstruction activities expected to last for years. Paramilitary forces have grown stronger and more numerous since 2014, but have yet to be fully integrated into national security institutions. Some figures associated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) militias that were organized to fight the Islamic State are participating in the 2018 election campaign and may cooperate with or challenge Prime Minister Abadi, including individuals with ties to Iran.\nIn general, U.S. engagement with Iraqis since 2011 has sought to reinforce Iraq\u2019s unifying tendencies and avoid divisive outcomes. At the same time, successive Administrations have sought to keep U.S. involvement and investment minimal relative to the 2003-2011 era, pursuing U.S. interests through partnership with various entities in Iraq and the development of those partners\u2019 capabilities\u2014rather than through extensive deployment of U.S. military forces. U.S. economic assistance bolsters Iraq\u2019s ability to attract lending support and seeks to improve the Iraqi government\u2019s effectiveness and public financial management. The United States is the leading provider of humanitarian assistance to Iraq and also supports post-IS stabilization activities across the country through grants to United Nations agencies and other entities.\nThe Trump Administration has sustained a cooperative relationship with the Iraqi government and has requested funding to support Iraq\u2019s stabilization and continue security training for Iraqi forces beyond the completion of major military operations against the Islamic State. The nature and extent of the U.S. military presence and mission in Iraq is evolving in 2018 as conditions on the ground change and newly elected Iraqi officials make their training needs and requests clearer.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://crs.gov/Reports/R45096", "sha1": "b8dd2640ed076169808d804f23a2da96097c136f", "filename": "files/20180206_R45096_b8dd2640ed076169808d804f23a2da96097c136f.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180206_R45096_images_0bd43d63ef9c6abdcc143ff2728e3b14aa6ced7d.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180206_R45096_images_56a39c95b46a2bc1bacfc38cdd99444f0d071298.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R45096_files&id=/2.png": "files/20180206_R45096_images_017c1c39ef1857a52744ccb1d503ab396d7cbc8f.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R45096", "sha1": "14e7e52aa8b46b591e81168432bc40e60ae5dece", "filename": "files/20180206_R45096_14e7e52aa8b46b591e81168432bc40e60ae5dece.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Foreign Affairs", "Intelligence and National Security", "Middle Eastern Affairs", "National Defense" ] }