RAND Experts Available on Iraq Election

RAND experts are available to discuss a variety of subjects related to the upcoming elections in Iraq (March 7), including:

• Will the election results and their aftermath significantly affect the timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces?
• If the elections do not proceed peacefully, how could the timeline be altered? How will the elections results give U.S. officials a better understanding of whether the Sunnis, Shias and Kurds are able to establish a long-lasting political settlement?
• What could happen if the Sunnis follow through on their intention to boycott the election?
• How strong – or weak – are the Shia parties? Could they splinter before, or after, the election?
• How could actions taken by the Sunnis or Shias influence the role of the Kurds?

Charles Ries is a RAND senior fellow and served as the Minister for Economic Affairs and Coordinator for Economic Transition in Iraq at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

James Dobbins is director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at RAND, and author of Occupying Iraq: A History of the Coalition Provisional Authority.

Nora Bensahel is a RAND senior political scientist focusing on Iraq and Afghanistan. She is the author of After Saddam: Prewar Planning and the Occupation of Iraq.