1、Order Code RS22093Updated January 18, 2007The Iraqi Security Forces: The Challenge ofSectarian and Ethnic InfluencesJeremy M. SharpMiddle East Policy AnalystForeign Affairs, Defense, and Trade DivisionSummaryThe Bush Administration has deemed the creation of an effective Iraqi fightingforce that is
2、representative of Iraqi society at large as key to stabilizing Iraq andexpediting the eventual withdrawal of U.S. forces. However, there is concern thatsectarian killings, terrorism, and insurgency are undermining U.S. efforts to create aunified Iraqi military that can prevent internal violence from
3、 metastasizing into a largercivil war among Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. According to the December 2006 IraqStudy Group Report, “Significant questions remain about the ethnic composition andloyalties of some Iraqi units specifically, whether they will carry out missions onbehalf of national goals ins
4、tead of a sectarian agenda.” The 110th Congress may addressissues concerning the reforming of Iraqs security forces. This report will be updatedperiodically. For more information on Iraq, see CRS Report RL31339, Iraq: Post-Saddam Governance and Security Issues, by Kenneth Katzman. IntroductionSince
