RL31339
Iraq
January 14, 2009
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Summary
The progress in 2008 came after several years of frustration that Operation Iraqi Freedom had overthrown Saddam Hussein's regime, only to see Iraq wracked by a violent Sunni Arab-led insurgency, resulting Sunni-Shiite sectarian violence, competition among Shiite groups, and the failure of Iraq's government to equitably administer justice or deliver services. Mounting U.S. casualties and financial costs-without clear movement toward national political reconciliation- stimulated debate within the 110th Congress over whether a stable Iraq could ever be achieved, and at what cost. With a withdrawal timetable now set, there is growing U.S. support for compelling Iraq to fund key functions now funded by the United States.
