SECURITY(pending joint U.S.-Iraqi review)
By the end of 2006:
- Iraqi increase of 2007 security spending over 2006 levels
By April 2007: - Iraqi control of the Army
By September 2007: - Iraqi control of provinces
By December 2007: - Iraqi security self-reliance (with U.S. support)
GOVERNANCE
By the end of 2006:
- The Central Bank of Iraq will raise interest rates to 20 percent and appreciate
the Iraqi dinar by 10 percent to combat accelerating inflation. - Iraq will continue increasing domestic prices for refined petroleum products and
sell imported fuel at market prices.
RECOMMENDATION 24: The contemplated completion dates of the end of 2006
or early 2007 for some milestones may not be realistic. These should be completed by
the first quarter of 2007.
RECOMMENDATION 25: These milestones are a good start. The United States
should consult closely with the Iraqi government and develop additional milestones in
three areas: national reconciliation, security, and improving government services affect-
ing the daily lives of Iraqis. As with the current milestones, these additional milestones
should be tied to calendar dates to the fullest extent possible.
- National Reconciliation
National reconciliation is essential to reduce further violence and maintain the unity
of Iraq.
U.S. forces can help provide stability for a time to enable Iraqi leaders to nego-
tiate political solutions, but they cannot stop the violence—or even contain it—if
there is no underlying political agreement among Iraqis about the future of their
country.
The Iraqi government must send a clear signal to Sunnis that there is a place for
them in national life. The government needs to act now, to give a signal of hope.
Unless Sunnis believe they can get a fair deal in Iraq through the political process,
there is no prospect that the insurgency will end. To strike this fair deal, the Iraqi gov-
ernment and the Iraqi people must address several issues that are critical to the suc-
cess of national reconciliation and thus to the future of Iraq.
Steps for Iraq to Take on Behalf of National ReconciliationRECOMMENDATION 26: Constitution review. Review of the constitution is essen-
tial to national reconciliation and should be pursued on an urgent basis. The United
Nations has expertise in this field, and should play a role in this process.
IRAQ AND THE GULF WARS 545