Summary -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Overview of the conflict in Iraq -- Ba'athist regime -- Invasion of Iraq -- Occupation of Iraq -- First priority : setting up a constitutional government -- Spring -- The spiral downward begins (Spring 2004) -- Benchmark one : holding Iraqi elections -- Islamic extremists and sectarian violence -- A U.S. approach hesitantly unfold -- Armed groups in Iraq -- Overview -- Kurdish separatists -- Sunni Arab insurgents -- Violent extremists -- Shi'ite Arab militias -- Criminal gangs -- Insurgent use of terrorism -- Counterinsurgency in Iraq -- Organization and recognition of the U.S. COIN effort is slow to unfold -- Traditional U.S. military forces may need to be adjusted -- Fallujah -- Tal Afar -- Baghdad -- Air support -- Combatting improvised explosive devices -- Detainee operations -- U.S. development and support of Iraqi forces -- Iraqi police -- Iraqi armed forces -- Assessing progress in counterinsurgency -- Iraqi casualties and displacement -- Iraqi economy -- Iraqi opinion -- Accounting for success and failure -- Understanding Iraqi society -- Little planning for the occupation of Iraq -- The impact of a lack od international support for the war -- The disastrous effects of prematurely dismantling the Ba'athist regime -- The challenge of building a new Iraqi state from scratch -- Instituting a new system of justice -- Undertaking the reconstruction of Iraq -- The consequences of failing to maintain security early on military missions -- Lck of infiltration and tips hinder intelligence on the insurgency -- Building effective capabilities for counterinsurgency -- Use of force -- Public safety and security -- Partnering with and enabling indigenous forces -- Reporting on the enemy and infiltration -- Provision of essential services -- Informing and influencing operations -- Rigorous and coordinated detainee operations -- Recommendations -- Development of strategy -- Coalition-building -- Planning process -- Unity of effort -- Interagency process -- Host-nation governance -- Funding mechanisms -- Counterinsurgency as a mission -- Protection of the indigenous population -- Personnel policy -- U.S. Army special forces -- Partnership with indigenous forces -- Policing functions -- Brigade organization -- Gunship-like capability -- Intelligence collection and sharing.