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May 20th, 2025 | 6:47 PM ET

Iraq’s New Year Challenges

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Posted: December 18th, 2018

By Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, US Army (Ret.)

Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, US Army (Ret) was the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs from 2008-2009. Prior to that, he was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Affairs from 2006-2008. These positions followed a 30-year career in the military with service as Deputy Director for Strategy and Plans at US Central Command, Deputy Director of Operations for Coalition Forces in Iraq and significant command assignments worldwide. He currently leads a private consulting business for US clients in the Middle East and provides regional security commentary on Arabic, Turkish and English-speaking media channels worldwide.

Despite years of forecasts predicting implosion, partition, revolution, Iranian absorption and other apocalyptic scenarios, there were generally more good events in 2018 than bad in Iraq, still Iraq’s challenges in 2019 are significant.

The good events were only “mostly” good. A new government formed (mostly). ISIS was defeated (mostly). Security improved countrywide (mostly). The economy grew (mostly), and even the iconic International Zone opened to citizens (mostly). With good reason, leaders are wary of taking this (mostly) calm climate for granted, as backsliding is possible and secondary challenges could rise to perilous levels.

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