February 26th, 2007

CDDRL faculty member James Fearon explains why the U.S. can't win Iraq's civil war

Recently there has been much debate over whether Iraq's conflict is a civil war. James Fearon argues that this conflict is "one comparable in important respects to other civil wars that have occurred in postcolonial states with weak political institutions." Based on comparable conflicts in the past, Fearon states that hopes of "creating a stable, peaceful, somewhat democratic regime that can survive the departure of U.S. troops -- is unrealistic". There are no good reasons to believe that President Bush's plans for a "surge" attack to reduce the level of violence in Baghdad would quell the power struggle in the long term as "civil wars are rarely ended by stable power-sharing agreements". In the rare successful cases, it has usually taken combatants without factions, unlike Iraq's current situation. "Neither condition is satisfied by Iraq at present," said Fearon.

• » Why the U.S. Can't Win Iraq's Civil War

February 16th, 2007

Perry, Diamond, Fearon argue against more troops in Iraq

William J. Perry, former secretary of defense and Iraq Study Group member, was joined by Larry Diamond, former Coalition Provisional Authority advisor, and James Fearon, professor of political science at Stanford, for a Jan. 22 panel discussion on "Iraq: The Way Forward." In the discussion, which took place at FSI, Perry, Diamond, and Fearon all argued against sending more troops to Iraq, with Perry noting that the "cumulative effect of all these strategic errors has been a disastrous security situation." Audio transcript available
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January 30th, 2007

Perry, Diamond and Fearon say no more troops

Former Secretary of Defense William Perry and CDDRL's Larry Diamond and James Fearon argue against President Bush's decision to send more troops to Iraq. Larry Diamond considers the war as "one of the biggest foreign policy blunders in U.S. history." President Bush's decision to send more troops at this time was "all too painfully reminiscent of Vietnam," states Diamond.

• » Expert Panel Weighs In On Iraq Dilemma
• » Former Defense Secretary blasts Iraq policies

January 25th, 2007

Sending more troops to Iraq is a big mistake, CISAC panelists say

President Bush's plan for a troop surge in Iraq is "too little, too late," William Perry, former defense secretary and a member of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, said during a panel discussion organized by CISAC on Jan. 22. "His strategy is not likely to succeed because it is tactical, not strategic, and because it does not entail real conditionality for the Iraqi government," Perry said. Larry Diamond, a former senior advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, and CISAC's James Fearon, a political science professor and civil war expert, also argued for more emphasis on regional diplomacy and on balancing political power in the Iraqi government. Read more »

January 17th, 2007

Don't repeat mistakes by bombing Iran, Diamond and Fearon say

At Stanford University, Former Secretary of Defense William J. Perry and CDDRL's Larry Diamond and James Fearon argue that Congress should stop funding the President's plan for more soldiers. When asked how these situations can be avoided in the future, Diamond responded, "I want to repeat what I said, we have a chance to get it right now by not bombing Iran. So let us not repeat the mistake all over again".

• » Iraq Study Group Member Talks Strategy At Stanford
• » Former Defense Secretary blasts Iraq policies