Letter from the Sponsoring Organizations
The initiative for a bipartisan, independent, forward-looking "fresh-eyes" a.s.sessment of Iraq emerged from conversations U.S. House Appropriations Committee Member Frank Wolf had with us. In late 2005, Congressman Wolf asked the United States Inst.i.tute of Peace, a bipartisan federal ent.i.ty, to facilitate the a.s.sessment, in collaboration with the James A. Baker III Inst.i.tute for Public Policy at Rice University, the Center for the Study of the Presidency, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Interested members of Congress, in consultation with the sponsoring organizations and the administration, agreed that former Republican U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, III and former Democratic Congressman Lee H. Hamilton had the breadth of knowledge of foreign affairs required to co-chair this bipartisan effort. The co-chairs subsequently selected the other members of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, all senior individuals with distinguished records of public service. Democrats included former Secretary of Defense William J.
Perry, former Governor and U.S. Senator Charles S. Robb, former Congressman and White House chief of staff Leon E. Panetta, and Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., advisor to President Bill Clinton. Republicans included former a.s.sociate Justice to the U.S. Supreme Court Sandra Day O"Connor, former U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson, former Attorney General Edwin Meese III, and former Secretary of State Lawrence S.
Eagleburger. Former CIA Director Robert Gates was an active member for a period of months until his nomination as Secretary of Defense.
The Iraq Study Group was launched on March 15, 2006, in a Capitol Hill meeting hosted by U.S. Senator John Warner and attended by congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle.
To support the Study Group, the sponsoring organizations created four expert working groups consisting of 44 leading foreign policy a.n.a.lysts and specialists on Iraq. The working groups, led by staff of the United States Inst.i.tute of Peace, focused on the Strategic Environment, Military and Security Issues, Political Development, and the Economy and Reconstruction. Every effort was made to ensure the partic.i.p.ation of experts across a wide span of the political spectrum.
Additionally, a panel of retired military officers was consulted.
We are grateful to all those who have a.s.sisted the Study Group, especially the supporting experts and staff. Our thanks go to Daniel P. Serwer of the Inst.i.tute of Peace, who served as executive director; Christopher Kojm, advisor to the Study Group; John Williams, Policy a.s.sistant to Mr. Baker; and Ben Rhodes, Special a.s.sistant to Mr.
Hamilton.
Richard H. Solomon, President United States Inst.i.tute of Peace
Edward P. Djerejian, Founding Director James A. Baker III Inst.i.tute for Public Policy, Rice University
David M. Abshire, President Center for the Study of the Presidency
John J. Hamre, President Center for Strategic and International Studies
Iraq Study Group Plenary Sessions
March 15, 2006 April 11-12, 2006 May 18-19, 2005 June 13-14, 2006 August 2-3, 2006 August 30-September 4, 2006 (Trip to Baghdad) September 18-19, 2006 November 13-14, 2006 November 27-29, 2006
Iraq Study Group Consultations
(* denotes a meeting that took place in Iraq)
Iraqi Officials and Representatives
*Jalal Talabani--President *Tariq al-Hashimi--Vice President *Adil Abd al-Mahdi--Vice President *Nouri Kamal al-Maliki--Prime Minister *Salaam al-Zawbai--Deputy Prime Minister *Barham Salih--Deputy Prime Minister *Mahmoud al-Mashhadani--Speaker of the Parliament *Mowaffak al-Rubaie--National Security Advisor *Jawad Kadem al-Bolani--Minister of Interior *Abdul Qader Al-Obeidi--Minister of Defense *Hoshyar Zebari--Minister of Foreign Affairs *Bayan Jabr--Minister of Finance *Hussein al-Shahristani--Minister of Oil *Karim Waheed--Minister of Electricity *Akram al-Hakim--Minister of State for National Reconciliation Affairs *Mithal al-Alusi--Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation *Ayad Jamal al-Din--Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation *Ali Khalifa al-Duleimi--Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation *Sami al-Ma"ajoon--Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation *Muhammad Ahmed Mahmoud--Member, Commission on National Reconciliation *Wijdan Mikhael--Member, High Commission on National Reconciliation Lt. General Nasir Abadi--Deputy Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Joint Forces *Adnan al-Dulaimi--Head of the Tawafuq list Ali Allawi--Former Minister of Finance *Sheik Najeh al-Fetlawi--representative of Moqtada al-Sadr *Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim--Shia Coalition Leader *Sheik Maher al-Hamraa--Ayat Allah Said Sussein Al Sadar *Hajim al-Ha.s.sani--Member of the Parliament on the Iraqiya list *Hunain Mahmood Ahmed Al-Kaddo--President of the Iraqi Minorities Council *Abid al-Gufhoor Abid al-Razaq al-Kaisi--Dean of the Islamic University of the Imam Al-Atham *Ali Neema Mohammed Aifan al-Mahawili--Rafiday Al-Iraq Al-Jaded Foundation *Saleh al-Mutlaq--Leader of the Iraqi Front for National Dialogue *Ayyad al-Sammara"l--Member of the Parliament *Yonadim Kenna--Member of the Parliament and Secretary General of a.s.syrian Movement *Shahla Wali Mohammed--Iraqi Counterpart International *Hamid Majid Musa--Secretary of the Iraqi Communist Party *Raid Khyutab Muhemeed--Humanitarian, Cultural, and Social Foundation Sinan Shabibi--Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq Samir Shakir M. Sumaidaie--Amba.s.sador of Iraq to the United States
Current U.S. Administration Officials
Senior Administration Officials
George W. Bush--President Richard B. Cheney--Vice President Condoleezza Rice--Secretary of State Donald H. Rumsfeld--Secretary of Defense Stephen J. Hadley--National Security Advisor Joshua B. Bolten--White House Chief of Staff
Department of Defense/Military
CIVILIAN: Gordon England--Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Cambone--Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Eric Edelman--Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
MILITARY: General Peter Pace--Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Edmund Giambastiani--Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John Abizaid--Commander, United States Central Command *General George W. Casey, Jr.--Commanding General, Multi-National Forces-Iraq Lt. General James T. Conway--Director of Operations, J-3, on the Joint Staff *Lt. General Peter Chiarelli--Commander, Multi-National Forces-Iraq Lt. General David H. Petraeus--Commanding General, U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth *Lt. General Martin Dempsey--Commander Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq *Maj. General Joseph Peterson--Coalition Police a.s.sistance Training Team *Maj. General Richard Zilmer--Commander, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Colonel Derek Harvey--Senior Intelligence Officer for Iraq, Defense Intelligence Agency Lt. Colonel Richard Bowyer--National War College (recently served in Iraq) Lt. Colonel Justin Gubler--National War College (recently served in Iraq) Lt. Colonel David Haight--National War College (recently served in Iraq) Lt. Colonel Russell Smith--National War College (recently served in Iraq)
Department of State/Civilian Emba.s.sy Personnel
R. Nicholas Burns--Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Philip Zelikow--Counselor to the Department of State C. David Welch--a.s.sistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs James Jeffrey--Senior Advisor to Secretary Rice and Coordinator for Iraq Policy David Satterfield--Senior Advisor to Secretary Rice and Coordinator for Iraq Policy Zalmay Khalilzad--U.S. Amba.s.sador to Iraq *Dan Speckhard--Charge D"Affaires, U.S. Emba.s.sy in Iraq *Joseph Saloom--Director, Iraq Reconstruction and Management Office *Hilda Arellano--U.S. Agency for International Development Director in Iraq *Terrance Kelly--Director, Office of Strategic Plans and a.s.sessments *Randall Bennett--Regional Security Officer of the U.S. Emba.s.sy, Baghdad, Iraq
Intelligence Community
John D. Negroponte--Director of National Intelligence General Michael V. Hayden--Director, Central Intelligence Agency Thomas Fingar--Deputy Director of National Intelligence for a.n.a.lysis and Chairman of the National Intelligence Council John Sherman--Deputy National Intelligence Officer for Military Issues Steve Ward--Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Middle East Jeff Wickham--Iraq a.n.a.lyst, Central Intelligence Agency
Other Senior Officials
David Walker--Comptroller General of the United States *Stuart Bowen--Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction
Members of Congress
United States Senate
Senator William Frist (R-TN)--Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid (D-NV)--Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY)--Majority Whip Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)--Minority Whip Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)--Chair, Foreign Relations Committee Senator John Warner (R-VA)--Chair, Armed Services Committee Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE)--Ranking Member, Foreign Relations Committee Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)--Ranking Member, Armed Services Committee Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)--Ranking Member, Energy and Resources Committee Senator Kit Bond (R-MO)--Member, Intelligence Committee Senator James Inhofe (R-OK)--Member, Armed Services Committee Senator John Kerry (D-MA)--Member, Foreign Relations Committee Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT)--Member, Armed Services Committee Senator John McCain (R-AZ)--Member, Armed Services Committee Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)--Member, Armed Services Committee
United States House of Representatives
Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)--Minority Leader Representative Tom Davis (R-VA)--Chair, Government Reform Committee Representative Jane Harman (D-CA)--Ranking Member, Intelligence Committee Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO)--Ranking Member, Armed Services Committee Representative John Murtha (D-PA)--Ranking Member, Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN)--Member, Armed Services Committee Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX)--Member, International Relations Committee Representative Alan Mollohan (D-WV)--Member, Appropriations Committee Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT)--Member, Government Reform Committee Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA)--Member, Appropriations Committee
Foreign Officials
Sheikh Salem al-Abdullah al-Sabah--Amba.s.sador of Kuwait to the United States Michael Ambuhl--Secretary of State of Switzerland Kofi Annan--Secretary-General of the United Nations *Dominic Asquith--British Amba.s.sador to Iraq Tony Blair--Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Prince Turki al-Faisal--Amba.s.sador of Saudi Arabia to the United States Nabil Fahmy--Amba.s.sador of Egypt to the United States Karim Kawar--Amba.s.sador of Jordan to the United States Na.s.ser bin Hamad al-Khalifa--Amba.s.sador of Qatar to the United States *Mukhtar Lamani--Arab League envoy to Iraq Sir David Manning--British Amba.s.sador to the United States Imad Moustapha--Amba.s.sador of Syria to the United States Walid Muallem--Foreign Minister of Syria Romano Prodi--Prime Minister of Italy *Ashraf Qazi--Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq Anders Fogh Rasmussen--Prime Minister of Denmark Nabi Sensoy--Amba.s.sador of Turkey to the United States Ephraim Sneh--Deputy Minister of Defense of the State of Israel Javad Zarif--Iranian Amba.s.sador to the United Nations Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayad--Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates
Former Officials and Experts
William J. Clinton--former President of the United States Walter Mondale--former Vice President of the United States Madeleine K. Albright--former United States Secretary of State Warren Christopher--former United States Secretary of State Henry Kissinger--former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell--former United States Secretary of State George P. Schultz--former United States Secretary of State Samuel R. Berger--former United States National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski--former United States National Security Advisor Anthony Lake--former United States National Security Advisor General Brent Scowcroft--former United States National Security Advisor General Eric Shinseki--former Chief of Staff of the United States Army General Anthony Zinni--former Commander, United States Central Command General John Keane--former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army Admiral Jim Ellis--former Commander of United States Strategic Command General Joe Ralston--former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Lt. General Roger C. Schultz--former Director of the United States Army National Guard Douglas Feith--former United States Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Mark Danner--The New York Review of Books Larry Diamond--Senior Fellow at the Hoover Inst.i.tution, Stanford University Thomas Friedman--New York Times Leslie Gelb--President Emeritus, Council on Foreign Relations Richard Hill--Director, Office of Strategic Initiatives and a.n.a.lysis, CHF International Richard C. Holbrooke--former Amba.s.sador of the United States to the United Nations Martin S. Indyk--Director, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Inst.i.tution Ronald Johnson--Executive Vice President for International Development, RTI International Frederick Kagan--The American Enterprise Inst.i.tute Arthur Keys, Jr.--President and CEO, International Relief and Development William Kristol--The Weekly Standard *Guy Laboa--Kellogg, Brown & Root Nancy Lindborg--President, Mercy Corps Michael O"Hanlon--Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, The Brookings Inst.i.tution George Packer--The New Yorker Carlos Pascual--Vice President and Director, Foreign Policy Studies, The Brookings Inst.i.tution Robert Perito--Senior Program Officer, United States Inst.i.tute of Peace *Col. Jack Petri, USA (Ret.)--advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Interior Kenneth Pollack--Director of Research, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Inst.i.tution Thomas Ricks--The Washington Post Zainab Salbi--Founder and CEO, Women for Women International Matt Sherman--former Deputy Senior Advisor and Director of Policy, Iraqi Ministry of Interior Strobe Talbott--President, The Brookings Inst.i.tution Rabih Torbay--Vice President for International Operations, International Medical Corps George Will--The Washington Post
Expert Working Groups and Military Senior Advisor Panel
Economy and Reconstruction