The establishment of a stable, well-trained Iraqi defense force is vital to guaranteeing Iraq’s domestic and regional security. But while responsibilities are slowly handed-off to the Iraqi forces, there are still many challenges to be confronted. Can ethnic and sectarian militias—often accused of fomenting sectarian conflict—be integrated successfully into the national army? In Afghanistan, recruits agree to serve and fight in integrated units outside their home regions. Could such units be used to overcome sectarianism in Iraq? Will Iraqis agree to the Afghan model? What will their future role be in fighting the counterinsurgency or suppressing a civil war? Will the Ministry of Defense be able to overcome organizational problems? Will the Iraqi Armed Forces develop into an independent, professional army absent politicization?

AEI will host Major General Kamal Abid Barzanjy, commander of the Iraqi Air Force, and Lieutenant General Nasier Abadi, deputy chief of staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces, to discuss these and other questions. Michael Eisenstadt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy will offer commentary on the progress made thus far and the way ahead. AEI’s Danielle Pletka will moderate.