The Iraq Project at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) continues to produce fully-documented reports that monitor and analyze the changing security and political dynamics within Iraq. The next twelve months are especially critical for the stability and future of Iraq.

 

With national elections scheduled for March 7, 2010, Iraqi politicians and political parties are jockeying for the most advantageous position ahead of the vote. This competition has created a dynamic, and at times, destabilizing environment.

 

ISW’s Iraq Report and related research publications will regularly document the political maneuvering prior to the vote, the conduct of the election, the seating of the new government, and its implications for stability and security in Iraq. ISW Senior Fellows and research analysts will also continue to analyze Arab-Kurd tensions—a growing concern among U.S. forces in Iraq—with a series of research products to be published over the course of 2010.

 

Finally, the Iraq Project will continue to track the security dynamics and insurgent groups operating in the country. The insurgency in Iraq, while dramatically diminished, remains a threat. A number of lethal enemy groups continue to operate throughout the country. Given the upcoming elections and the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces by the end of August 2010, the Iraq Project will track and document the evolving threats.