Rachel Schneller says, "The massive upheaval of Iraq's population that has occurred since 2006 threatens the long-term stability of the country, regardless of short-term gains achieved through the political process or military surges."

The coalition led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is likely to lead in the March 7 parliamentary elections, as Iraqis look for stability and security after years of conflict, says Nir Rosen, an analyst of Iraq's political scene.

Rachek Schneller explains the divisions among Shi'a Arabs in Iraq.

Ambassador Christopher Hill talks about Iraqi governance and the political and security implications of elections scheduled for early next month.

Watch Ambassador Christopher Hill talk about Iraqi governance and the political and security implications of elections scheduled for early next month.

Listen to Ambassador Christopher Hill talk about Iraqi governance and the political and security implications of elections scheduled for early next month.

Stephen Biddle discusses the perils of viewing the situation in Iraq as a "solved problem."

As Iraq's pre-election crisis deepens, Iraq analyst Reidar Visser says Washington must do more to counter the sectarian agenda emerging in Baghdad's political landscape.

Reports of Sunnis being banned from Iraq's March 7 elections are a reminder of the dangerous fault lines in Iraqi politics, which the United States can best influence with support rather than interference, says CFR's Brett McGurk.

Iraqis don't blame Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for an uptick in violence, but that doesn't mean he'll prevail in March 7 parliamentary elections, says veteran Middle East correspondent Jane Arraf.

The recent spate of bombings in Baghdad is testing the U.S. commitment to withdrawal, and Iraqi political leaders' ability to maintain their grip on power, says expert Sam Parker.

"As the Iraqi political process revs up, terrorist acts occur that appear aimed at steering the political process," writes Rachel Schneller.

It does not seem likely that the United States will be able to extract its troops from either Afghanistan or Iraq by 2011, writes Richard Haass.

CFR's Rachel Schneller says Iraqi political factions should be given time to sort out their power-sharing rules rather than be rushed into elections in January 2010, a date pegged to U.S. troop withdrawals.

"Despite the headlines about bombings in Baghdad, the situation has improved immeasurably," writes Max Boot, referring to the better security in Iraq on his most recent trip. Nevertheless, he cautions that, "there is no room to be complacent," as there is much work yet to be done.

Brett H. McGurk says lessons from the success of the surge in Iraq should be applied to Afghanistan.

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) released its twenty-third report to Congress. The October report states: "Thee next six months will see a substantial reduction in the size of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, a continuing reorganization of the U.S. Embassy's reconstruction management, and the election of a new Iraqi parliament."

Lydia Khalil writes that in the face of uncertainty in Afghanistan, President Obama should not forget the lessons learned in Iraq.

"We would all be well advised to handle Vietnam analogies with great care," writes Max Boot arguing against comparing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Vietnam War.