Looking Past Fallujah

Posted: June 29th, 2016

By General Jack Keane

General Keane, a four-star general, retired after 37 years of service which culminated in his appointment as acting Chief of Staff and Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army. General Keane is president of GSI Consulting and serves as chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, and a former and recent member of the Secretary of Defense Policy Board. In 2018, General Keane was the first military leader to be honored with the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Award and in 2020, he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump at the White House.

Last Sunday, Iraqi forces announced that Fallujah, the first major city captured by the Islamic State (ISIS) has been fully liberated. This is a significant win for the coalition fighting ISIS, allowing plans for the campaign to regain control of Mosul to begin. However, victory in Fallujah masks deeper problems. Beset by sectarian tension, foreign influence, and simmering political unrest, the government of Prime Minister Haider al Abadi will find it difficult to both rebuild trust in the Sunni-dominated Anbar Province and regain control over Iraq’s political system. Former Vice Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army, four-star General Jack Keane, who is Chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, sat down with The Cipher Brief to discuss Iraq’s future.

The Cipher Brief: What is the current state of play in Iraq, both militarily and politically, after the capture of Fallujah?

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