• News
• Economic Development
• Financial cost of war
• History and Culture
• Human Rights
• Humanitarian Situation
• Iraqi Politics and Security
• Legal Documents
• Non-Governmental Organisations
• Opinion Polls in Iraq
• United Nations Documents
• US and UK Governments
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
    • Executive Branch
    • Legislative Branch
      • House of Representatives
      • Senate
      • Congressional Budget Office
      • Congressional Research Services Publications
      • Government Accountability Office
    • Semi-official and Non-Governmental Collections of Government Documents
  • European Union

Legislative Branch

• Iraq Study Group report (06 Dec 2006)

  The report of the commission, chaired by James Baker and Lee Hamilton, established to recommend changes to US policy in Iraq. Among its 79 recommendations were:

  • A "New Diplomatic Offensive", to build support for US policy in Iraq
  • An "International Support Group" involving Syria, Iran and other regional powers in the stabilisation of Iraq.
  • Renewed efforts for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process
  • Future support for the Iraqi government to be dependent on its performance, provinding an incentive for the government to succeed
  • Clarification that the US does not seek permanent bases in Iraq, or control of the country's oil
  • A constitutional review, considering oil-sharing and the federal structure of Iraq
  • More US soldiers attached to the Iraqi military as trainers and advisers
  • Transfer of the national and border police away from the Ministry of the Interior
• Bills about Iraq

  Listing of bills concerning Iraq from the US Senate and House of Representatives. An rss feed is also available.

• House of Representatives
  • House Committee on Armed Services
  • House Committee on Government Reform

    This commitee has consucted four hearings on 'contracting and the rebuilding of Iraq', on October 8, 2003, March 11, 2004, June 15, 2004, and July 22, 2004
  • House Committee on International Relations
  • House Judiciary Committee
  • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
    • House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: Documents
• Senate
  • Senate Armed Services Committee
  • Senate Budget Committee
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

    Frequently conducts hearings on issues related to Iraq

    • Accelerating economic progress in Iraq (20 July 2005)

      Senate hearing, considering four questions:

      1. Should the Coalition shift more economic resources from Baghdad to the provinces?
      2. Should they increase resources and emphasis on creating jobs?
      3. Should they devote more effort to preventing corruption and sabotage in the oil industry?
      4. Should they create a reliable set of indicators for economic progress?

      Witnesses were Keith Crane (RAND), Fareed Mohamedi (PFC Energy), and Frederick D. Barton (CSIS)

      Crane suggests that the focus should be on the central ministries (since at this time the Iraq government's mechanisms for working in the provinces are weak and unproven), and that poverty is a problem over unemployment, sincly many of the large unemployment figures are exagerated. Reckons the time for high profile large projects has passed. States the largest form of corruption is the theft of fuel by government officials. Strongly recommends a transparent periodic liberalization of the price of gasoline, and that the gathering and processing of statistics should be done through the Iraqi ministries, not by the coalition directly. Mohamedi notes problems with electriciity supplies being regionalised to support the assertion that assistance should be done at a national, not regional, level - similarly for control of oil production and revenue. Suggests sabotage is a bigger problem than corruption for the oil sector in the short term, though not in the long term. Barton advocates a move away from the ineffective ministries, microfinance over work programs, and cash transfers to replace the food distribution program.

    • Advancing Iraqi political development (Senate committee hearing) (19 July 2005)

      This committee hearing considered four questions.

      1. Should deadlines for drafting an Iraqi constitution be treated rigidly or flexibly?
      2. Is there a need for a public education campaign to stimulate interest in the constitution and the insurgency
      3. Should the US take steps to forestall a sunni-shi'a conflict?
      4. How can the coalition cultivate new leaders in Iraq, and encourage them to use politics rather than violence?

      Witnesses were Phebe Marr (US institute of peace), Noah Feldman (New York University), and Judy van Rest (IRI)

    • Improving security in Iraq (Senate committee hearing) (18 July 2005)

      This hearing considered four questions:

      1. Should the coalition revise its current counterinsurgency strategy?
      2. Could the US press its allies to provide more manpower?
      3. Should the US reprioritize the training schedule of Iraqi forces?
      4. Should the President change the force structure of the US presence in Iraq?

      Witnesses were Ken Pollack (Brookings), Barry McCaffrey, and Anthony Cordesman (CSIS)

    • Strategies for reshaping US policy in Iraq and the Middle East (Senate committee hearing) (01 Feb 2005)

      Discussion in this hearing focussed on Anthony Cordesman's paper "Playing the Course. Witnesses were Anthony Cordesman (CSIS), Gregory Newbold (Potomac Institute), and Peter Khalil (Brookings)

    • Accelerating US assistance to Iraq (Senate committee hearing) (15 Sept 2004)

      Witnesses were Ronald L. Schlicher and Joseph W. Bowab, both from the Department of State.

    • Iraq - Post Transition (22 July 2004)

      A review of US activities in Iraq since the transfer of sovereignty. Witnesses were Ronald L Schlicher (State department) and David Gompert (National Defense University)

    • Iraq transition - the way ahead (II) (19 May 2004)

      Hearing into US plans for the transfer of power in June 2005. Witnesses were Anthony Cordesman (CSIS), Joseph Hoar (Centcom), Phebe Marr (National Defense University/US Institute for Peace), and Larry Diamond (Stanford)

    • Iraq's transition - the way ahead (I) (18 May 2004)

      Hearing into US plans for the transfer of power in June 2005. Witnesses were Paul Wolfowitz, speaking in public, and Richard Armitage and Walter Sharp in closed session.

    • The Iraq transition: obstacles and opportunities (22 Apr 2004)

      This session heard witnesses from within the US Government. The website holds the statements from Andrew Natsios (USAID) and Marc Grossman (State)

    • Iraq transition - civil war or civil society? (21 Apr 2004)

      This hearing considered the plans for a transfer of sovereignty in Iraq; the Status of Forces agreement; and the role of the UN. Witnesses were Ken Pollack (Brookings), George Joulwan, Michael Sheehan (NYPD), Michael O'Hanlon (Brookings), and Ahmed Hashim (Naval War College)

    • Iraq transition - civil war or civil society? (20 Apr 2004)

      Witnesses were James Schlesinger, Samuel Berger, Richard Perle, Toby Dodge, and Juan Cole

    • Review of the UN Oil for Food programme (Senate committee hearing) (07 Apr 2004)

      Witnesses were John Negroponte, Patrick Kennedy, Robin Raphel, Kim Holmes, Joseph Christoff and Michael Thibault

  • Senate Judiciary Committee
    • 2003 Report on Iraq
    • Mentions of Iraq in witness testimony
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
    • Conclusions from: Report on US Intelligence Comunity's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq
    • Report on US Intelligence Comunity's Prewar Intelligence Assessments on Iraq
    • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence- Press releases archive
• Congressional Budget Office
  • Cost Analyses of Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

    "CBO's studies of the long-term implications of current defense plans also contain estimates of the costs of military operations and other activities associated with the global war on terrorism, as do alternative budget scenarios in Chapter 1 of CBO's The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2007 to 2016."

• Congressional Research Services Publications
  • CRS report on cost of war, prepared for US Congress (Oct 2005)

    This report published by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) concluded that $251 billion had been assigned to spending on the Iraq War. The research uses Congressional appropriations and Department of Defense (DOD) DFAS monthly obligations reports. The report claims that due to the anticipated nature of the war, the DOD transferred money from peacetime funds and also from funds appropriated for Afghanistan or general war. Transferral of monies from peacetime funds is permitted under certain circumstances as outlined in appropriations legislation.

    [As of Oct 2005] The US's National Priorities Project "Cost of War" information and counter is now based upon this latest estimate of congressional appropriations totalling $251billion by 31 March 2006.

• Government Accountability Office
  • GAO report on key 'benchmarks' for Iraqi government Sep 2007 (04 Sept 2007)

    Public Law 110-28 contains 18 benchmarks for the Government of Iraq to meet by 1 September 2007. As of 30 August 2007, the GAO assessed that the Iraqi government met 3, partially met 4, and did not meet 11 of its 18 benchmarks.

    Benchmarks met:

    • the rights of minority political parties in Iraq's legislature are protected.
    • Iraq's government has established various committees in support of the Baghdad security plan
    • almost all of the planned Joint Security Stations in Baghdad have been established

    Benchmarks partially met:

    • Enacting and implementing legislation on procedures to form semi-autonomous regions (law passed but not yet implemented)
    • Providing three trained and ready brigades to support Baghdad operations.
    • eliminating safe havens for "outlaws"
    • Equitable allocation and spending of $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects and essential services
  • Overview of GAO Findings and Methodology on Iraq (18 Jan 2007)

    This brief document summarises a number of key GAO reports on Iraq since 2003. Also interestingly states that the GAO plans to establish a presence in Iraq from March 2007 (subject to Congress granting them the money).

  • GAO Testimony: Stabilisation, Reconstruction and Financing Challenges (08 Feb 2006)

    "Iraq will likely need more than the $56 billion that the World Bank, United Nations, and CPA estimated it would require for reconstruction and stabilization efforts from 2004 to 2007."

    "However, it is unclear how Iraq will finance these additional requirements....Iraq's ability to financially contribute to its own rebuilding and stabilization efforts will depend on the new government's efforts to increase revenues obtained from crude oil exports, reduce energy and food subsidies, control government operating expenses, provide for a growing security force, and repay $84 billion in external debt and war reparations." Summary is here

  • US GAO Testimony: 'Rebuilding Iraq: Enhancing Security, Measuring Program Results And Mantaining Infrastructure Are Necessary to Make Significant and Sustainable Progress' (18 Oct 2005)

    Report by the US Government Accountability Office investigating US progress in rebuilding Iraq. Notes the difficulting in maintaining infrastructure projects, and the difficulty of measuring progress. Recommends that Iraq will probably need signifcantly more than the $56bn estimated previously by the World Bank, due to unforseen looting, sabotage and lower than expected oil revenues. Finds that data collected is incomplete, citing for example that the Department of State reports on number of water projects completed, but not on the condition of the water supply to Iraqi people. A summary can be found here.

  • Rebuilding Iraq (28 June 2004)

    Substantial report to Congress, covering funds allocated and progress achieved in four main areas of resources, security, governance and essential services, along with commentary on oversight issues.

  • GAO documents on Iraq

    Listing of all Iraq-related documents produced by the General Accounting Office