To provide for an independent assessment of the capabilities of the Iraqi Security Forces.

1. Adds SEC. __. INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF CAPABILITIES OF THE IRAQI SECURITY FORCES wherever appropriate

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. __. INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT OF CAPABILITIES OF THE IRAQI SECURITY FORCES.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) The responsibility for Iraq's internal security and halting sectarian violence must rest primarily with the Government of Iraq, relying on the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).

   Inserted: (2) In quarterly reports to Congress, and in testimony before a number of congressional committees, the Department of Defense reported progress towards training and equipping Iraqi Security Forces; however, the subsequent performance of the Iraqi Security Forces has been uneven and occasionally appeared inconsistent with those reports.

   Inserted: (3) On November 15, 2005, President Bush said, "The plan [is] that we will train Iraqi troops to be able to take the fight to the enemy. And as I have consistently said, as the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down".

   Inserted: (5) On January 10, 2007, the President announced a new strategy, which consists of three basic elements: diplomatic, economic, and military; the central component of the military element being an augmentation of the present level of the U.S. military forces with more than 20,000 additional U.S. military troops to Iraq to "work alongside Iraqi units and be embedded in their formations. Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs".

   Inserted: (6) The President said on January 10, 2007, that "I've made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not open-ended" so as to dispel the contrary impression that exists.

   Inserted: (7) The latest National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iraq, entitled "Prospects for Iraq's Stability: A Challenging Road Ahead," released in January 2007, found: "If strengthened Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), more loyal to the government and supported by Coalition forces, are able to reduce levels of violence and establish more effective security for Iraq's population, Iraqi leaders could have an opportunity to begin the process of political compromise necessary for longer term stability, political progress, and economic recovery".

   Inserted: (8) The NIE also stated that "[d]espite real improvements, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF)--particularly the Iraqi police--will be hard pressed in the next 12-18 months to execute significantly increased security responsibilities".

   Inserted: (9) The current and prospective readiness of the ISF is critical to (A) the long term stability of Iraq, (B) the force protection of U.S. forces conducting combined operations with the ISF; and (C) the scale of U.S. forces deployed to Iraq.

   Inserted: (b) Independent Assessment of Capabilities of Iraqi Security Forces.--

   Inserted: (1) In general.--Of the amoung appropriated or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense, $750,000 is provided to commission an independent, private-sector entity, which operates as a 501(c)(3) with recognized credentials and expertise in military affairs, to prepare an independent report assessing the following:

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   Inserted: (A) The readiness of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) to assume responsibility for maintaining the territorial integrity of Iraq, denying international terrorists a safe haven, and bringing greater security to Iraq's 18 provinces in the next 12-18 months, and bringing an end to sectarian violence to achieve national reconciliation .

   Inserted: (B) The training; equipping; command, control and intelligence capabilities; and logistics capacity of the ISF.

   Inserted: (C) The likelihood that, given the ISF's record of preparedness to date, following years of training and equipping by US forces, the continued support of US troops will contribute to the readiness of the ISF to fulfill the missions outlined in subparagraph (A).

   Inserted: (2) Report.--Not later than 120 days after passage of this Act, the designated private sector entity shall provide an unclassified report, with a classified annex, containing its findings, to the House and Senate Committees on Armed Services, Appropriations, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence.

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   Original wording

   At the appropriate place, insert the following:

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As printed