Media inquiries: Veronique Rodman
vrodman@aei.org; 202.862.4871.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 7, 2008

General David H. Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq, and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan C. Crocker will testify tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8, 2008, and Wednesday, April 9, 2008, on the situation in Iraq. In Iraq: The Way Ahead, a just-released report that touches on many of the issues sure to be raised over the next few days, AEI resident scholar Frederick W. Kagan analyzes many of the successes coalition forces have achieved thus far in Iraq and argues for caution as we consider the scale of the U.S. presence in Iraq.

The report advises: 

• No consideration of further troop reductions after the July drawdown to fifteen brigades, due to the need to set conditions for the 2008 provincial elections.
• Patience with the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) as they continue to improve their effectiveness--despite partial setbacks in the recent Basra effort, they have shown a willingness to engage with the enemy.
• Recognition of the success we have achieved thus far--coalition casualties were the lowest in December 2007 than in any month since the beginning of the war, and civilian casualties and other indicators of violence have also dropped dramatically, even taking recent fighting into account.

Frederick W. Kagan can be reached at fkagan@aei.org or 202.862.5925; his assistant Charlie Szrom can be reached at charlie.szrom@aei.org or 202.862.5855. For additional media inquiries, please contact Veronique Rodman at vrodman@aei.org or 202.862.4871.

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