Iraq in Crisis: What Options Does Washington Have?

As ISIS militants continue their push towards Baghdad, Iraq is facing its most serious security crisis since the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011, and the United States finds itself once again debating the use of force as sectarian tensions threaten an all-out civil war. Can the Iraqi government roll back the ISIS advance and retake control of the north? What are the consequences for Iraq and the region if the conflict becomes protracted? How closely will the United States work with Iran to pursue the shared objective of quelling the violence?

On June 19, the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings examined the deteriorating situation in Iraq and offer recommendations on how the United States should respond. Panelists included Brookings Senior Fellows Suzanne Maloney and Kenneth M. Pollack; and Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon, director of research in Foreign Policy. Brookings Senior Fellow Tamara Cofman Wittes, director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, provided introductory remarks and moderated the discussion.

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