Iraq at a Crossroads: Options for U.S. Policy

After years of United States investment in time and resources, the loss of thousands of American lives, and the commitment of billions of dollars to support Iraq's political development and the creation of a responsible, capable Iraqi Security Force, that Force deserted the communities they were responsible for protecting, abandoned United States military equipment, and fled from ISIS fighters. ISIS's expansion across Iraq and its reception by Iraq's Sunni communities and tribes would not have been possible except for the accumulation of years of destructive sectarian, corrupt policies by the central government in Baghdad. Iraq has the potential to be an economically prosperous, diverse, and politically representative model for others in the region, but Iraqi leaders have focused on their own sectarian and ethnic interests for too long, at the expense of building an Iraq for all Iraqis.