One "think tank" report on Iraq stated thatsecurity needs in the post-war period "cannot be underestimated." (10)

		What Security Tasks Must Be Performed? (13) Especially inearly post-conflict situations, protecting civilians andproperty from common crime may require a mix of military and policing skills. One crucial issue for U.S. policymakers will be who is to perform these tasks, particularly if U.S. armed forces do not? Related questions are when and to what degree Iraqimilitary and police, and possibly U.S. contracted or international police, partner with U.S. forces ortake over the various security tasks. Police Forces. (18)
In addition to the military forces and military police contributed by many countries to peacekeeping operations, several other types of forces have been used to provide security. Military Occupation Forces: How Large? How Long? The size of a military occupation force, and the length of time that it should remain in place in support of an occupation government depends on many factors. occupation, and cooperation from local police forces was high. (37) ) The use of such forces hasvaried in previous peacekeeping operations. (38) These are: (1) the appropriate role forthe United Nations in the transition; (2) the feasibility of establishing democracy in Iraq; and (3) theappropriate time frame and stages in which a transition to full Iraqi rule would occur, particularlythe length of time in which the U.S. military would head an occupation government. Who Should Form a Post War Government for Iraq? The debate on the appropriate role for the United Nations is influenced by (1) considerations as to whether the United Nations Security Council's resistance to endorsing coalition military actionagainst Iraq is a significant indicator of its behavior in post-Hussein Iraq, (2) the comparativeadvantages of the United Nations and of the United States in harnessing international support fora future government, and (3) the United Nations' performance in past and current peacebuildingoperations. Proponents of a continuing U.S. lead in Iraq's political development believe that the United Nations has previously demonstrated a lack of the political will necessary to deal with securitythreats posed by the Hussein regime, and would prove an obstacle to securing U.S. security goals ifit were to play a deciding role in Iraq's political future. (47)

		What are the Possibilities of and Means to Achieving Democracy? Others,however, point to Iraq's lack of significant prior experience with democratic institutions as aliability. (49)
Since the early 1980s, there has been a growing international interest in assisting the development of democratic institutions and practices, of which assistance through peacebuildingoperations has been a recent manifestation. In addition to the security tasks listed in the previous section, some analysts of peacekeeping and peacebuildingoperations cite the immediate creation of institutions to guarantee the rule of law as essential to theestablishment of a secure climate in which democracy can prosper. (59)
Role of Civic Society and Local Participation. Some analysts now argue that the Afghan arrangementscan provide a model for the formation of a government in Iraq. And, onefundamental requirement for such effective peacekeeping, according to some analysts, is that suchoperations include all "local stakeholders -- including those who have been the victims of war aswell as those who have been the perpetrators of war -- [and put them] at the center of externalsupport for rebuilding..." (74) In Iraq, too,powersharing arrangements may be useful in gaininglegitimacy for a new government and in curbing potential strife or violence among contendingfactions. (80)

		How Long Is a Peacebuilding Presence Necessary?
In the immediate aftermath of the coalition victory in Iraq, U.S. policymakers face a number of decisions regarding security and government in post-war Iraq. While there are significantdifferences between the Iraq situation and other post-war experiences, observations and "lessonslearned" from such experiences might be relevant. This report will discuss six security andgovernance issues raised by previous experiences, with particular reference to U.S. post-World WarII occupation experiences and also peacekeeping experiences in the Balkans and Afghanistan. It maybe updated as new issues arise for which assessments of previous experiences might be useful.
Previous experience suggests three key decisions on security in post-war Iraq which policymakers must take. These are: (1) what security tasks must be performed, (2) who shouldperform them, and (3) how large should an occupation military force be, and how long should itremain? Many tasks must be performed in order to guarantee the security of citizens and propertyin the post-conflict environment, several of which require "constabulary" forces, i.e., thosepossessing both military and policing skills. In previous major U.S. occupations, U.S. soldiersinitially performed most policing tasks, turning them over to indigenous police as the situationallowed. In the 1990s, peacekeepers increasingly assumed policing functions as the need toguarantee security for property and citizens in the aftermath of conflict became apparent. Manyanalysts have argued that policing functions are not appropriate for U.S. forces, as they can erodewarfighting and many also believe that appropriately trained civilian police are often preferable. The lack of such personnel, however, has been a problem in current peacekeeping operations. Thesize of an occupation force, and the length of time that it should remain in place during anoccupation government depends on many factors, including in particular the tasks it undertakes andthe cooperation it receives from Iraqis.
Policymakers must also decide what type of assistance to provide Iraq in creating a new government and supporting institutions to fill the power vacuum left by the fall of the Husseingovernment. Three issues are: (1) who should form a post-war government for Iraq, (2) what arethe possibilities of and means to achieving democracy in Iraq, and (3) how long is a peacebuildingpresence necessary? While the U.S. government has taken charge of the formation of a new Iraqigovernment, with the intent of encouraging the creation of democratic institutions and practices,some analysts believe that the possibilities for creating a viable and democratic Iraqi governmentwould be enhanced if the United Nations were to assume that role. Some senior U.S. officials hadcontemplated an occupation of some two years, which some experience suggests may be inadequateto create stable institutions. Studies of past peacekeeping experiences point to the special need forconsiderable attention to building capacities to assure the rule of law, conducting elections at anappropriate time, and possibly providing for interim powersharing arrangements. Some have alsoadvocated creating or supporting channels for political participation by civic society and localgroups.