Despite security gains, targeted assassinations of Iraqi judicial and legislative figures are increasing and insurgent groups are still attempting to reignite sectarian violence, according to the Pentagon’s latest quarterly report on the Iraq war.
The report also said "continued malign Iranian influence and a lack of government services and rule of law" threatened to erode or reverse the security gains of the past two years.
"Despite persistent promises to the contrary, Iranian behavior continues to reflect a fundamental desire to oppose the development of a fully secure and stable Iraq," the report reads.
"Iran attempted, both publicly and covertly, to derail a long-term security agreement between the United States and [Iraq], while it continues to host, train, fund, arm and direct militant groups intent on destabilizing Iraq."
That long-term security agreement — which took effect Jan. 1 and mandates a U.S. withdrawal by the end of 2011 — was one of the positives highlighted by the Pentagon report, which covered the final quarter of calendar year 2008.
Overall, the "security situation in Iraq continued to improve during this reporting period," the report reads.
Compared to the same time period in 2007, the number of civilian deaths in Iraq declined by almost 63 percent, lower than at any time since early 2004.
The report claims that "many" fighters loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr are seeking amnesty and leaving Shiite militia groups, while the Sunni al-Qaida in Iraq is "increasingly isolated from the populace."
But the report echoed the words of several U.S. commanders in recent months, saying security gains are "fragile and reversible."
The transition of so-called "Sons of Iraq" members to other employment, the Jan. 30 provincial elections, the fate of Kirkuk, and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons all pose threats, the report said.
The report also highlighted problems with the Iraqi judicial system. That is particularly worrisome for U.S. officials, as the new security agreement mandates that all detainees in U.S. custody should be transferred to Iraqi control, where their cases will be adjudicated.
"Intimidation continues to hinder administration of an effective criminal justice system and is the most immediate threat to advancing the rule of law in Iraq," the report read.
"In addition, courts handling the most serious violent crimes continue to be overwhelmed. The number of criminal cases and the lack of timely and complete investigations, combined with poor court administration and judicial intimidation, hamper the ability of investigative courts to process cases in a fair and timely manner."
A December report issued by the international watchdog group Human Rights Watch found many of the same failures in regard to the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, which has taken on growing importance as the court in which alleged insurgents are tried.
The full report can be found online at: www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/9010_Report_to_Congress_Dec_08.pdf
