Securing and Stabilizing Iraq
An Assessment of the U.S. Joint Campaign Plan for Iraq Gao ID: GAO-10-584R April 22, 2010In the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2010, GAO is required to assess the extent to which the campaign plan for Iraq and supporting documents adhere to military doctrine, including the extent to which they (1) identify and prioritize the conditions that must be achieved in each phase of the campaign plan, (2) report the number of combat brigade teams and other forces required for each campaign phase, and (3) estimate the time needed to reach the desired end state and complete the military portion of the campaign. This report must be provided to Congress no later than 180 days after the enactment of the NDAA, or by April 26, 2010. The NDAA also states that GAO should notify Congress in writing if a previously submitted report meets the requirements to report on the campaign plan for Iraq. Further, the act requires that GAO submit an updated report when the campaign plan is substantially updated or altered, with the requirement ending on December 31, 2011. Our September 2009 classified report--Securing and Stabilizing Iraq: U.S. Drawdown Plans Should Include Contingency Plans for Use If Key Assumptions about Security Conditions and Iraqi Capabilities Prove Wrong--meets the NDAA requirement. We note that the Commanding General of U.S. Forces-Iraq (USF-I) recently reported that he had developed contingency plans for use if the security situation deteriorates during the drawdown of U.S. troops.
GAO-10-584R, Securing and Stabilizing Iraq: An Assessment of the U.S. Joint Campaign Plan for Iraq
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GAO-10-584R:
United States Government Accountability Office:
Washington, DC 20548:
April 22, 2010:
Congressional Committees:
Subject: Securing and Stabilizing Iraq: An Assessment of the U.S.
Joint Campaign Plan for Iraq:
In the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2010,
GAO is required to assess the extent to which the campaign plan for
Iraq and supporting documents adhere to military doctrine, including
the extent to which they (1) identify and prioritize the conditions
that must be achieved in each phase of the campaign plan, (2) report
the number of combat brigade teams and other forces required for each
campaign phase, and (3) estimate the time needed to reach the desired
end state and complete the military portion of the campaign.[Footnote
1] This report must be provided to Congress no later than 180 days
after the enactment of the NDAA, or by April 26, 2010. The NDAA also
states that GAO should notify Congress in writing if a previously
submitted report meets the requirements to report on the campaign plan
for Iraq. Further, the act requires that GAO submit an updated report
when the campaign plan is substantially updated or altered, with the
requirement ending on December 31, 2011.
We are writing to inform you that our September 2009 classified
report--Securing and Stabilizing Iraq: U.S. Drawdown Plans Should
Include Contingency Plans for Use If Key Assumptions about Security
Conditions and Iraqi Capabilities Prove Wrong--meets the NDAA
requirement.[Footnote 2] We note that the Commanding General of U.S.
Forces-Iraq (USF-I) recently reported that he had developed
contingency plans for use if the security situation deteriorates
during the drawdown of U.S. troops.[Footnote 3, Footnote 4]
In addition, to assist in congressional oversight, we attempted to
provide an unclassified summary of the September 2009 classified
report as an attachment to this letter. Specifically, we asked the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to declassify
portions of the September 2009 report, including the results in brief
section. ODNI would not declassify the information because we relied
on the classified March 2009 National Intelligence Estimate for Iraq
in reaching our conclusions.
The latest update--the 2010 Joint Campaign Plan for Iraq--was signed
by the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and the USF-I Commanding General on
November 23, 2009, and came into effect in January 2010.[Footnote 4]
We are currently assessing this update to the Joint Campaign Plan and
will issue a classified report comparing this plan with joint planning
doctrine, in accordance with the mandate's requirement to submit a
report when the campaign plan is substantially updated or altered.
We are sending copies of this letter to the congressional committees
listed below, and to the Departments of State and Defense and the
Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
If you or your staffs have any questions about this letter, please
contact me at (202) 512-8979 or christoffj@gao.gov. Contact points for
our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found
on the last page of this letter. In addition, this letter is available
at no charge on the GAO Web Site at [hyperlink, http://www.gao.gov].
Signed by:
Joseph A. Christoff:
Director, International Affairs and Trade:
List of Congressional Committees:
The Honorable Carl Levin:
Chairman:
The Honorable John McCain:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Armed Services:
United States Senate:
The Honorable Daniel K. Inouye:
Chairman:
The Honorable Thad Cochran:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Defense:
Committee on Appropriations:
United States Senate:
The Honorable Ike Skelton:
Chairman:
The Honorable Howard P. McKeon:
Ranking Member:
Committee on Armed Services:
House of Representatives:
The Honorable Norman D. Dicks:
Chairman:
The Honorable C.W. Bill Young:
Ranking Member:
Subcommittee on Defense:
Committee on Appropriations:
House of Representatives:
[End of section]
Footnotes:
[1] Pub. L. No. 111-84, Section 1226, Oct. 28, 2009. Since 2006, the
various U.S. campaign plans for Iraq have been referred to as Joint
Campaign Plans and signed by the U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and the
Commanding General of U.S. forces in Iraq.
[2] GAO-09-939C. On October 2, 2009, we provided copies of this
classified report to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee
on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs and Subcommittee on
Defense; the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee; the House Armed Services Committee; and the House
Foreign Affairs Committee. The House Appropriations Committee,
Subcommittee on Defense, did not request a copy of the classified
report.
[3] Defense.gov News Transcript: DOD News Briefing with Gen. Odierno
from the Pentagon. (Feb. 22, 2010).
[4] After reviewing this letter, DOD told us that Secretary Gates and
General Odierno have said we are on track to end our combat mission
and reach 50,000 troops by August 31, 2010.
[5] USF-I was then known as Multinational Force-Iraq (MNF-I). MNF-I
became USF-I on January 1, 2010.
