Foreword
Operation Iraqi Freedom, the U.S.-led military invasion of Iraq initiated in March 2003, succeeded in overthrowing the Saddam Hussein regime; replacing it with a stable, democratic government has proved much more difficult. After the fall of Saddam’s government, the United States set up a Coalition Provisional Authority to restore stability and facilitate reconstruction and economic recovery efforts in Iraq. Subsequently, however, escalating resistance to the U.S.-led occupation thwarted attempts to establish new institutions and train Iraqi security forces. Insurgency attacks had become more intense and coordinated, targeting not just coalition forces but Iraqi police and political figures, civilians working for…
