home > the cfr think tank > experts > lydia khalil > Nobody’s Client: The Reawakening of Iraqi Sovereignty
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| Author: | Lydia Khalil, International Affairs Fellow in Residence |
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March 2009
Lowy Institute for International Policy
Executive Summary
Iraq today is in a very different place from where it was just two years ago. Violence has decreased due to the implementation of a military surge strategy and the country is on the cusp of regaining full sovereignty after negotiating a Status of Armed Forces Agreement (SOFA) that stipulates an end to the U.S. military's presence. Once projected to be America's new client state in the region, Iraq is shaking off this affiliation and pursuing its own interests with less regard for its relationship with America. The dynamics of three key political issues will be discussed in this paper:
It will be these internal, domestic Iraqi drivers that will shape Iraq's stability more so than a reworked military or diplomatic strategy. Iraq will be nobody's client.
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