April 02, 2008

Life After the Surge: Prospects for Iraq and for the U.S. Military

By: Michèle Flournoy

This CNAS Congressional Testimony contains Michèle A. Flournoy's statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, given on April 2, 2008. According to Flournoy, "The only way to consolidate recent security gains in Iraq is to use our substantial political leverage to push various Iraqi actors toward political accommodation.  The Bush administration success or failure in so doing over the coming months will determine the options available to the next President.  When the next Commander in Chief takes office, he or she must put our Iraq policy on a new course that protects our vital interests there but also rebalances risk across our larger regional and global goals.  He or she must also take urgent steps to develop a new and more effective strategy toward Iraq, reduce the strains on our soldiers, marines and their families, free up more forces for other urgent priorities like Afghanistan, and restore the readiness of our military for the full range of possible future contingencies."

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