Operation Iraqi Freedom: Strategies, Approaches, Results, and Issues for Congress
"Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) was launched on March 20, 2003. The
immediate goal, as stated by the Bush Administration, was to remove the regime,
including destroying its ability to use weapons of mass destruction or to make them
available to terrorists. The broad, longer-term objective included helping Iraqis build “a new Iraq that is prosperous and free.”1 In October 2002, Congress had authorized the President to use force against Iraq, to “defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq,” and to “enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq>"

The most important short-term OIF issue for the Congress concerns the next
steps after the surge — the military strategies and approaches to be adopted in Iraq
after U.S. forces draw down to the pre-surge level. How OIF experiences to date are
evaluated — including policy decision-making, planning, and execution of both the
major combat and post-major combat efforts — are likely to have a significant
bearing not only on further U.S. government decisions about Iraq policy, but also on
broader, longer-term U.S. strategic concerns. Some of these include the future U.S.
military footprint in Iraq, Iraq as a U.S. national security concern, the future of the U.S. military force, and the distribution of roles and responsibilities among U.S. government agencies in complex contingencies."