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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Washington File

18 April 2003

CSIS Panel Recommends Next Steps for Rebuilding Iraq

(Scholars deal with security, reconstruction strategy, oil issues)
(800)
By Paula Thomson
Washington File Staff Writer
Washington -- In the rebuilding of Iraq, the establishment of a
constabulary security force, the convening of an international donors'
conference, and the upgrading of Iraq's oil infrastructure were among
several recommended projects suggested by a panel speaking at the
Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) in Washington.
CSIS analysts Phil Anderson, Rick Barton, and Robert Ebel led an
hour-long discussion, which covered such topics as the transitional
role of the military and coalition forces, challenges for
reconstruction and humanitarian efforts, and prospects for Iraq's oil
industry.
Anderson, a 23-year Marine Corp veteran and CSIS scholar for
international security issues, opened the discussion with
recommendations for the future role of coalition forces in Iraq.
Saying that Saddam Hussein's regime was no longer relevant, Anderson
said he was beginning to see a shift in Iraqi public opinion towards a
willingness to accept a short-term occupying force.
Anderson said that foreign military support would be needed "for quite
some time" to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and
to ensure security during the reconstruction of Iraq. He estimated
that a constabulary force would require between 100,000 and 200,000
troops, who would be drawn from both international coalition members
and members of Iraq's military and police forces to carry out the
policing tasks.
Anderson rejected suggestions that the U.S. military would establish a
permanent military presence in Iraq, saying that the presence would
only be expeditionary. "The plan is to return Iraq to its people. The
military is going to be used to facilitate this effort," he clarified.
Rick Barton, co-director for Iraq's Post-Conflict Reconstruction
project at CSIS, echoed Anderson's call for establishing security in
Iraq. "The fact remains that the security situation throughout Iraq
remains unpredictable. Public safety will be a precondition for
reconstruction and humanitarian efforts to begin," Barton said.
Barton said that stopping the looting and intimidation directed
against certain groups would be first among the challenges of a
constabulary force in Iraq. Citing the mixed results of the
coalition's use of the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan, Barton
cautioned that it would be important for coalition forces to find
reliable partners among the Iraqi population to help secure public
safety.
With regard to rebuilding Iraq, Barton said an international donor's
conference should be convened to raise money and promote the
international community's involvement in rebuilding Iraq. He urged the
United Nations to examine Iraq's past war-related debts and find ways
to compensate and relieve Iraq of those costs so it could channel its
money towards reconstruction.
Barton said major reconstruction projects should not be the first
priority in the rehabilitation of Iraq, but suggested that the focus
be on local projects with local ownership, which he said would provide
a "jump start" for the economy. Unlike Afghanistan, where the entire
civilian infrastructure had to be rebuilt, Barton said Iraq's
infrastructure is still intact. He added that reconstruction needs to
start in the cities.
"The starting point for reconstruction needs to be the cities," Barton
said, where 70 percent of Iraq's population resides. He suggested that
reconstruction teams try out different models of governing on the
local level, where chances are greatest for the involvement of the
Iraqi people. Barton recommended that salaries be provided to Iraq's
teachers, medical workers, police, and other civilian groups.
Barton also urged U.S. forces to become more involved in Iraq's
community development projects, citing the British military's success
in this area, which has resulted, he said, in their developing a more
positive relationship with the Iraqi public.
Robert Ebel, director of the CSIS Energy Program, discussed prospects
for Iraq's oil industry. His overall assessment of Iraq's oil
infrastructure was positive, but the condition of its oil production
facilities raises concern. He said that outside expertise and
technology, along with foreign capital, would be needed to upgrade the
facilities.
Although Ebel said that oil exports could resume in three months, he
predicted that it would take at least five years to fully rehabilitate
Iraq's oil industry, estimating that by 2010, Iraq could produce four
to four and a half million barrels of oil per day. Ebel also noted
Iraq's potential for exploiting its natural gas reserves, which he
said could complement Iraq's oil exports.
One of the challenges of rebuilding Iraq's oil industry will be
determining who has title to the oil, Ebel said. He called for
establishing a mechanism for reviewing contracts signed under Saddam
Hussein's regime and determining whether the next government should
honor those contracts. He also raised the issue of nationalism in
association with Iraq's oil industry, warning that opposition to
privatization efforts could be another significant challenge.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)



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