What is the likelihood that the United States and Iraq will negotiate a new Security Agreement?
A3: The current Security Agreement outlines the rights and responsibilities of the U.S. military within Iraq. This bilateral compact expires on December 31, 2011, which is also the deadline stipulated for all U.S. troops to be out of Iraq. In a mere 19 months, asking the ISF to be fully capable of preventing a return to civil war and maintaining an environment secure enough for the unimpeded growth of a new, more durable democratic Iraq may be unrealistic. Therefore, the two nations should begin discussing the parameters of a lower visibility U.S. presence that stretches beyond December 31, 2011, but is robust enough to continue developing and supporting the ISF commensurate with its needs and monitoring the ISF to ensure it exercises its missions responsibly, all while helping prevent open conflict between competing sectarian constituencies and the return of terrorist sanctuaries. Stephanie Sanok and Nathan Freier are senior fellows in the International Security Program at the Center
