Concern for the future of Iraq tops the list of issues at many foreign policy organizations (Council on Foreign Relations, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the International Crisis Group). Since the bombing of the Akariya shrine in Samarra on
February 22, 2005, Iraq has experienced an unprecidented level of sectarian violence, which is taking place as political leaders are engaged in sensitive negotiations to form a new, permanent government following Iraq's December elections. The shrine bombing combined with US insistence on increased Sunni participation in the new government have raised serious doubts in the minds of Shiites that the US represents their best interests.

Support for removing Ibrahim al Jaafari as Prime Minister now extends beyond Sunni, Kurdish and Secular factions to groups within the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance. The motivations within these groups vary, yet making such a move now amidst the violence no doubt infuses ever greater political instability into the country. In light of the surge in sectarian strife, plans for reducing US troop levels in the near term have been put on hold as Iraq weathers this period of grave turmoil.

To keep abreast of emerging developments in Iraq, the Alliance has compiled a list of credible online sources of information that offer timely and diverse viewpoints. We welcome you to connect with these sites for the most up to date analysis of Iraq’s condition.

Government Entities: The information-gathering arm of the U.S. Congress, called the Congressional Research Service (CRS), issues periodic updates on Iraq. The report published in July 2005, Iraq: US Regime Change Efforts and Post-Saddam Governance, offers a historical perspective and cogent synopsis of recent developments through the published date. Another good source is the US Institute for Peace (USIP), which monitors the Iraqi situation from a variety of vantage points through its Focus on Iraq. In particular, two highly-regarded symposiums in September, “An American Insider Perspective: The Iraqi Constitution, Referendum, and Elections” and “ A Critical Triangle Iraq, Iran, and the United States,” are available as audio playbacks online. USIP also evaluates what was gained and lost in the constitutional process, and identifies the areas of contention in the final draft that will resurface for possible amendment later this year.

In the debate on a withdrawal from Iraq, visiting scholars at Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College recently issued an intriquing report suggesting that the US would be best served if it lowered its sights on achieving victory before exiting Iraq. One of the Army War College's most recent releases appears to be causing quite a stir. Revisions in Need of Revising: What Went Wrong in the Iraq War applies a critical eye to claims by war critics engaged in an ever-spiraling blame game surrounding post-conflict choices by our civilian and military leadership. It challenges virtually everyone's assumptions to date.

Think Tanks: The Brookings Institution offers the Iraq Index, updated every Thursday to reflect the most timely assessment of the condition of Iraq’s utility services, crime reports, oil production, security force levels, unemployment, etc., in various parts of the country. The Center for Strategic and International Studies follows Iraq’s insurgency through its working draft entitled, “Iraq’s Evolving Insurgency.” The Council on Foreign Relations delves into the possibility of an ongoing civil war in Iraq and offers insight into what to expect in the coming months. CSIS also issued in early December its assessment of indigenous security troop improvement in "Iraqi Force Development: Can Iraqi Forces Do The Job?"

With the December vote behind us, one CFR scholar evaluates key security concerns not likely to be solved by October's constitutional referendum. The International Crisis Group cautions against a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, yet urges for a clearly defined strategy that requires significant policy changes in dealing with the insurgency.

Foreign Online News Sources: Media viewpoints outside the United States offer perspectives that circulate throughout the Middle East region. The most widely viewed is al Jazeera which provides a distinctly Arab vantage point of events. Middle East Online includes top news stories on Iraq in its coverage of the broader region. Iraq Daily provides continuous roundup of media postings from around the world that deal specifically with Iraq. We note that several online news sources that emerged from within Iraq following the overthrow of Saddam Hussein have closed due to a lack of security and funding, such as the Baghdad Bulletin. From All Angles provides a list of both domestic and foreign news sources for Iraq available in either English (en) and/or Arabic (ar). Several on the list feature breaking news articles of importance from an Iraqi’s point of view. In that way, they reveal salient issues and concerns that affect daily living conditions and Iraqi expectations for the future.

Bobby Muller was recently a featured panelist on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer. He discussed the outcome of the Iraqi elections and possible U.S. troop withdrawal.