Stabilization and Counter Insurgency in Iraq
19 September 2006, 1530-1700
It became readily clear in the months following the US led invasion of Iraq, that although the United States and its allies could wage a traditional military campaign more efficiently than ever before, victory in this phase does not mark the end of a war. Since 2003 the US has become bogged down in Iraq, captured in a growing cycle of violence. Despite attempts to adapt to the situation, the security environment has steadily deteriorated. In this roundtable discussion, RAND expert Dr. Nora Bensahel will dissect the stabilization and counterinsurgency operations in Iraq, examining where the coalition went wrong and what may be possible to help mitigate the current violence.
Dr. Nora Bensahel is a Senior Political Scientist at RAND. Her recent work has examined post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan and Iraq, military coalitions, and multilateral intervention. Recent publications include The Counterterror Coalitions: Cooperation with Europe, NATO, and the European Union, and The Future Security Environment in the Middle East. She has held fellowships at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, and the John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University. Also serves as an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Dr. Bensahel holds a PhD from Stamford University.
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