STRATMOR week of 9/18/03

September 18, 2003

Though they will certainly discuss Iraq, the Sept. 20 meeting of French, German and British leaders in Berlin will be an attempt to address deeper and more fundamental issues about the future of Europe, including how much leadership France is willing to cede to repair deep splits in the union over foreign policy. The outcome of that meeting will have a profound impact on U.S. attempts to raise international support for rebuilding efforts in Iraq.

Iraq: U.S. Navigates Shiite Maze
September 15, 2003

U.S. and Iraqi Shiite officials reportedly are nearing an agreement to curb armed Shiite militias in the holy city of An Najaf. The United States is seeking ways to disarm the militia groups and integrate them into a single force operating under the aegis of the U.S. military in order to counter the Sunni resistance movement in Iraq. However, this will be an extremely difficult task given the intense factionalizing among Iraqi Shiites. Both sides likely realize that any deal will be at best temporary and localized.