Published: 2007
Total Pages: 208
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Oversight of the training of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), beyond the larger question of American combat presence in Iraq, will be necessary on an ongoing basis. This report is designed to improve that oversight and the efficiency of congressional-executive information exchanges on this issue. Our most significant finding, one that is reflected throughout this report, is that the Department of Defense (DoD) must do a much better job of reporting meaningful information to Congress on its ISF strategies, plans, and progress. The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (the subcommittee) started its investigation of DoD's efforts and progress toward developing an independent ISF in late February 2007 with the goal of releasing a report to the full Committee on Armed Services by July 2007. The subcommittee undertook this project because political and economic progress in Iraq "are unlikely, absent a basic level of security." To support the committee's congressional oversight responsibilities, the subcommittee's goals included the following: (1) Understanding the Administration's Iraq strategy and how the ISF development plan supports this strategy; (2) Investigating and assessing the capability and professionalism of the ISF; (3) Assessing the return on the U.S. investment in the ISF; (4) Assessing the plan to transition sustainment funding for security to the Government of Iraq; (5) Contributing to full committee deliberations on the 2007 supplemental budget, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Global War on Terror authorization, the FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act, and the nation's Iraq policy; and (6) Presenting information for public debate, and attempting to influence or improve DoD's approach to organizing, training, and equipping the ISF. This report will lay out the factual and analytical support for the following major findings: Strategy and Plans, Cost and Value, ISF, Critical Security Enablers, and Advisory Mission and Transition Teams (TTs).