Paramilitary Demobilization in Iraq: Lessons Not Learned.

This paper places Iraq in context with prior efforts of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR). Lessons from those prior efforts, and from more academic assessments of the problem, suggest several lessons that could be applied in Iraq and other societies. First, DDR is more likely to be successful if it follows a full political settlement. Second, DDR is more likely to succeed if it is part of a comprehensive peace agreement, as opposed to being fragmentary. Third, DDR is more likely to succeed if a neutral mediator carries out the process. This paper next provides a detailed case study of the DDR effort in Iraq, an effort whose failure was illustrated in the opening paragraph. This case study is drawn from a mixture of original documents and the authorÂ’s own experiences working on this issue at the headquarters of the Multi-National Force in Iraq. Finally, the paper considers the extent to which the Iraqi DDR effort took advantage of lessons learned from past cases, and reflects whether or not these lessons could have been applied to the Iraqi case, and considers the prospects for peace in Iraq. ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]