Introduction

For all Iraq’s extraordinary difficulties over recent decades, today the country is enjoying an increasingly positive mood. ISIS has been driven from its last territorial holdings, oil revenues are improving, and the next national elections—the fifth since the fall of Saddam Hussein—are on track for May of this year.

As Iraq looks ahead to a post-ISIS future, numerous challenges lie ahead. Iran is doing its best to interfere in this May’s election and beyond, relations between Baghdad and the three Kurdish provinces remain problematic, the economy is in dire need of liberalization, and in the aftermath of ISIS the reconstruction and reconciliation needs are vast.

Addressing these challenges satisfactorily will require ongoing, close ties between the United States and Iraq. This report provides an update on Iraq’s economy and politics in the wake of the victory over ISIS, reviews current U.S.-Iraqi ties and looks at where they can be improved, and discusses key unresolved issues in the U.S.-Iraqi relationship.