Inside Iraq

Maintaining security

Will the remaining US troops have to return to combat operations to obtain stability in Iraq?

Another series of deadly attacks in Iraq has raised new fears about security after the US drawdown.

Less than two weeks after the Obama administration announced the end of combat operations in Iraq,  US troops have already been drawn back into combat.

Despite the hype surrounding the August drawdown, there was never any doubt that US soldiers would continue engage the enemy when necessary … but the latest series of violent incidents have again raised questions about the rationality of US policy, and the difficulties of maintaining security in Iraq.

Are Iraqi forces strong enough to cope? And what is the real role of the remaining US soldiers?

Joining the programme are Tahseen al-Shaikhli, a civilian spokesman of Baghdad Security Plan, Patrick Clawson, the deputy director for research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Faiza al-Araji, a blogger, commentator and Iraqi activist.

This episode of Inside Iraq can be seen from Friday, September 10, at the following times GMT: Friday: 1730, 2230; Saturday: 0300, 0830; Sunday: 0600, 1230.