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