The State of Iraq
On March 15, 2006, the U.S. Congress said that it would create a bipartisan commission to study new strategies for the war in Iraq. The commission would be led by two heavy hitters: former Republican secretary of state James Baker and former Democratic congressman Lee Hamilton. The announcement barely made the news.
But on December 6, when the Iraq Study Group released its report, the news could barely talk about anything else. So we launched our own special investigation, starting with what the group's report really says about the state of Iraq.
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Changing Course
The same day the report came out, a former group member, Robert M. Gates, was confirmed by a 95-2 Senate vote as the new U.S. secretary of defense. Gates told senators that America is not winning the war and that "all options are on the table." President Bush backed Gates up, saying "it's bad in Iraq" and America needs "a new strategy" to succeed.
We read the Iraq Study Group's recommendations and distilled all 79 into just a few pages for you. The linchpin of the group's proposal for changing course: promoting "national reconciliation" inside Iraq.
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Meet the Shi'ites
Shi'ites, for the first time in the history of modern Iraq, have political control of the country. And according to the Iraq Study Group, "Above all, many Shia are interested in preserving that power." But what does it mean to be a Shi'ite? Who are they, and what do they believe?
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Meet the Kurds
The Kurds have done better in the new Iraq, too. They've secured a largely autonomous Kurdish region in the north and achieved a prominent role for themselves in Iraq's national government. But many Kurds still want, above all else, independence. They want Kurdistan, a country all their own. Here's why.
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Here Comes the Mahdi (Army)
Both Iraqi and American leaders say that as teeming Baghdad goes, so goes Iraq. Unfortunately, large parts of Baghdad are controlled by the Mahdi Army, which may number 60,000 fighters. This militia is led by Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and he says he can't possibly disband it. Why? Because, he says, it "belongs to the Mahdi." The Mahdi? Who's the Mahdi?
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How Iraq Got Stuck with Saddam
Iraq didn't get to be the mess it is today overnight. It's been struggling for decades--struggles that Saddam Hussein exploited to rise to power as dictator of Iraq. Here's our look at how Saddam came to power in the first place--at the crucial events that shaped modern Iraq, and that challenge its new leaders now.
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Maps of Iraq,
From the Files of the CIA
Of course, no look at Iraq would be complete without actually looking at Iraq. So we have four key CIA maps for you to view. Don't worry, they're not classified. But they are essential for understanding the country.
See the lay of the land
See Iraq's ethnic and religious split
See where the oil is
See where the people live
--Michael Himick and Steve Sampson
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